Aussies beat India , win Boxing Day Test

The high of a Test series win over Pakistan was washed away when Australia hammered the Indians by 337 runs in the Boxing Day Test. Chasing a mammoth 499 for an unlikely win, India capitulated for the second time in the match, getting out for 161

But his dismissal a couple of deliveries later was a clear sign of things to follow, as Australia wrapped up the proceedings with a huge 337-run margin in the Boxing Day Test to establish a 1-0 lead in the four-match series on Saturday.

Brave resistance from VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly (42 and 40 respectively) were the only hope while Ricky Ponting's men marched towards their 15th successive Test win. India capitulated inside four days chasing an enormous 499 — shot out for a paltry 161 runs — their second score of less than 200 in the game.

Mitchell Johnson bagged three second innings wickets, while Brett Lee and Brad Hogg took two apiece to break the back of the Indian batting. Andrew Symonds too featured in the list with the scalp of Rahul Dravid.

Resuming on an overnight six without loss, India limped to 56-2 at lunch as openers Wasim Jaffer and Rahul Dravid saw the first innings repeat itself.

Brett Lee was hostile in the second session as he out-thought Sachin Tendulkar when the batsman was lured into a rash drive outside off-stump after making 15.

VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly attempted to break the near deadlock of runs before Laxman fell prey to an uppish drive to Stuart Clark for 42. Yuvraj Singh departed in quick succession to Brad Hogg, failing to read a well-disguised flipper for five, as India's challenge had all but faded.

Morning sickness

Adam Gilchrist's catch in the morning session took him over Ian Healy Australian record with 396 Test dismissals.

By the time Dravid had faced the same amount of balls he did in the first innings, he had scored twice as many runs. However, his struggle to get the scoreboard ticking again proved to be his downfall at the stroke of lunch, after having absorbed 114 balls for his 16.