Australia shattered with a record-breaking chase of 414 runs

AB de Villiers erased a lingering hoodoo for South Africa as they sealed their most satisfying win with a record-breaking chase of 4 for 414 that buried Australia. Since coming back into the international arena in the early 1990s, South Africa have had the most trouble with Australia and finally conquered them, with de Villiers fighting to 106 and Jacques Kallis and the debutant JP Duminy producing nerveless half-centuries.

In a thrilling and stomach-turning adventure in the top-of-the-table contest, South Africa registered the second-biggest successful pursuit in history and did it so comfortably that they could have got 500. Australia's only answer was Mitchell Johnson, who took a career-best 11 for 159, but the rest of the performance was as worrying as South Africa's was outstanding.

Tendulkar gives Mumbaikars some relief with a record chase

After all the turmoil of recent weeks, India couldn't have picked a better moment to create history, completing a famous six-wicket victory in Chennai by chasing down the fourth-highest total in Test cricket. And there could be no better figure than Sachin Tendulkar to mastermind the uplifting success with a century of such serenity that he made the pressure-cooker environment seem like an afternoon in the park. Along with Yuvraj Singh, he added an unbroken 163, sapping the England spirit that had carried them into such a dominant position.

The closing stages were dominated by scenes of a hysteric crowd cheering dot-balls as Yuvraj ensured Tendulkar had time to reach his 41st century. The moment came with perfect symmetry as Tendulkar swept Graeme Swann to fine leg to reach the hundred and complete victory. All the previous times India have come up short in run-chases, and claims that Tendulkar doesn't contribute at crunch times, will be forgotten.

Rajasthan clinch the inaugaral IPL with a last ball last run to win...!!!

The Rajasthan Royals have won the inaugural edition of the IPL in a thrilling last ball ending. Batting first, the Chennai Super Kings put on 163 runs for the loss of 5 wickets largely due to contributions by Parthiv Patel (38), Suresh Raina (43) and Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (29*).

Chasing 164 for victory, the Royals got off to a steady start but went on to lose three quick wickets such that they were struggling at 44 for 3 after 7 overs. However, Yusuf Pathan (56), who had earlier taken 3 wickets for 22 runs in the Super Kings' innings had other plans and displayed some cool temperament, hitting sixes almost at will when the pressure started mounting.

Handy contributions came from the bats of Shane Watson (28) and Swapnil Asnodkar (28). Just when it looked like they would cruise to an easy win, some close run-outs took it right down to the wire and with 12 runs required off the last 7 balls, skipper Shane Warne and Sohail Tanvir held their nerves and sealed the win with the winning run coming off the last ball. It truly was a fitting finish to a thrilling tournament that has engrossed the attention of the entire world.

Amazingggggg Dhoni..!!!!!! (courtesy Cricinfo)

Here's one way to spend 15 months of your life. You could experience five continents and eight countries, taking about 50 flights, covering approximately 112,000 kilometres. Along the way you could take part in 47 one-dayers, 11 Tests and eight Twenty20s, in a period spanning 105 days of international cricket.

If you're more ambitious, you could also captain your country, pulling off two historic wins in the process. If you're fit enough, you could keep wicket, squatting and straightening all day, totalling a mind-boggling 26,906 sit-ups. You could push yourself to the limit and shrug aside back strains, leg aches, and finger sprains. Welcome to the world of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is not only the world's most highly-prized cricketer - going by the money he fetched at the IPL auction - but also the busiest.

India's fitness report at the end of the Australia tour highlighted the problems of Sachin Tendulkar, Ishant Sharma, and the two Singhs - Yuvraj and Harbhajan. But the stunning part was right at the end: Dhoni had finished the 80-odd day-long tour with only a finger sprain. Given his schedule, it's some surprise he continues to stand upright. We knew about his power and dash; the last year has told us a bit about his endurance.

INDIA showed Australia their place in Cricket....

In the final installment of its 29-year existence, a series that has become a part of Australia's summer culture came to a climactic end with a fitting humdinger at the Gabba.

Twenty three years after India's last significant limited-overs title in Australia, Sachin Tendulkar helped script another memorable chapter with an innings of skill and determination. There was to be no repeat of his twin centuries against Australia in 1998, but his 91 set up a total which, backed by Praveen Kumar's subtle-swinging accuracy, proved nine runs too much for Australia.

In a game that ebbed and flowed wonderfully, James Hopes took Australia agonisingly close to victory with his maiden fifty after Praveen returned from an 11-run 45th over to snap a threatening eight-wicket stand. Back when Australia dominated this tournament regularly Steve Waugh earned the moniker 'Ice Man' and under starry skies Hopes and Praveen gave it a modern context.

Hopes battled on with comfortable sweeps against the spinners and some deft placement down the ground. There was not a trace of emotion on face as he raised his fifty. Similarly, having given up 11 runs in his penultimate over, Praveen displayed awesome composure to bowl a three-run 47th, cleaning up Brett Lee.

That left Australia needing 29 from 18 balls. Sreesanth picked up a second wicket but Hopes refused to bow down, flat-batting a six over wide long-on to ratchet up the tension. With 13 required off the final over, Pathan came back on. A single to third man exposed Nathan Bracken, who chipped a slower ball to midwicket. Hopes crossed and drove a manic couple to long-off but could only drive the fourth ball into midwicket's diving lap. Sinking to the ground as India whooped and cried around him, Hopes cut an endearing figure, a hero on a losing side, but the entire Brisbane crowd stood to applaud a pulse-setting, nerve-wracking game - and the deserving winners.

INDIA proved everyone wrong by winning an amazing match..!!!!

No overseas team, barring legendary Caribbean sides, had won in Perth since 1985-86, and given what transpired in Sydney a fortnight ago, India's convincing 72-run victory at the WACA will surely go down as their finest Test win. An entertaining ninth-wicket partnership between Mitchell Johnson and Stuart Clark gave a 16,000-strong crowd plenty of merriment, but it proved to have only nuisance value as India ended Australia's stunning 16-match streak.

Michael Clarke had been the boy on the burning deck, but with Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey, Andrew Symonds and Adam Gilchrist back in the pavilion, the good ship was always destined for the ocean floor. And when Clarke gave Anil Kumble the charge and was beaten in the flight, it was as good as over. His 81 had spanned just 134 balls and included some majestic drives, but when he departed, he took any lingering Australian hope with him.

Johnson and Clark thought differently though. They weren't about to die wondering, and a partnership that contained more agricultural mows than a harvest season gave Kumble and the Indians more than a bit of grief. The 73-run stand at nearly a run a ball had everything - fours, huge sixes, miscued hooks falling short of fielders and even Johnson being bowled off a no-ball.

The Master-blaster makes his 38th century

If the second day belonged to the twinkling VVS Laxman, the third was all Sachin Tendulkar's as the brightest star in the Indian batting constellation shone once more at one of his favourite hunting grounds. His unbeaten century played a large part in India taking a lead in the second Test; less than the size of the lead - 69 runs - the fact that they got a lead at all will give them great strength in a series that was threatening to go steadily downhill for the visiting team.

There has been something about Tendulkar's batting in each knock in this series that stood out from the rest and it was hard to put a finger on it till the third day. On a day when India stumbled more than once, Tendulkar showed, through a mixture of tight defence, controlled shot selection and dazzling strokeplay, what has made him a batting tour de force over 17 years. While Sourav Ganguly has been the form batsman, and Laxman the man who inevitably defies the Australians, it is Tendulkar who can hurt them the most. On the day, Tendulkar scarcely put a foot wrong and, in a pleasant departure from the norm, he was more than adequately supported by a tail that showed stomach for the pitched battle.