Clinical Operation

India rode on Munaf Patel's brilliant debut and Anil Kumble's guiles tosubjugate England by nine wickets in the second Test today.

Patel and Kumble provided a lethal combination as the duo snapped up fourwickets each to dismiss the visitors for a paltry 181 in their second innings toset the stage for a remarkable Indian victory.

Needing to score 144 runs for victory, Virender Sehwag marked his return toform with a blistering unbeaten 76 as the hosts surpassed the target withoutmuch fuss on a thrilling final day to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match Testseries.

Sehwag hit the winning shot by taking a single off Monty Panesar to send avociferous home crowd into a frency at the PCA stadium.

Resuming at 112 for five, Patel (4-25) and Kumble (4-70) wrecked the Englishinnings this morning despite stand-in captain Andrew Flintoff's defiant 51 whichhelped his team to delay the inevitable.

Sehwag then took centrestage with his characteristic flamboyance as herattled up the required runs in quick time while captain Rahul Dravid (42 notout) gave him company till the end.

Dravid played a typically solid knock as India, who took a 38-run firstinnings lead by making 338 in their first innings, ensured they go into thethird Test in Mumbai with a huge psychological advantage. It was India's 13thTest win in 48 Tests against England at home and Dravid's fourth win as captainin 13 Tests.

The contribution of the bowlers to the victory was immense. Kumble, whopicked his 500th wicket on the third day, finished with a match haul of ninewickets while debutant paceman Patel also impressed, bagging four crucial secondinnings wickets to add to his three scalps in the first.

Kumble was also named man of the match.

India started the run chase confidently before Wasim Jaffer was leg before toMatthew Hoggard for 17 (3x4, 32b) with the team total reading 39.

But the modest target meant Sehwag and Dravid carried on effortlessly.

Sehwag picked Paul Collingwood for special treatment, hitting him for a fourfollowed by a six over mid-on the very next ball to take India within 18 runs ofvictory.

The opening batsman brought the winnings runs by stepping out and pushingPanesar for a single to long off.

Earlier, the 22-year-old Patel used reverse swing to devastating effect whileKumble and Piyush Chawla also chipped in with a wicket each as India bowled outEngland for 181.

The only defiance for the visitors, who could add merely 69 runs to theirovernight total of 112 for five, came from skipper Flintoff who top scored with51 and put on 42 runs for the ninth wicket with Stephen Harmison.

Nervous England lost a wicket in the very first over the day when GeraintJones played back defensively off Patel to see the ball spin back onto thestumps.

The wicketkeeper-batsman could add just four runs to his overnight score ofone.

Four overs later, Patel struck again, trapping Liam Plunkett plumb in frontfor one.

Before England could recover from the twin blows by the 'Bharuch Express',Patel came back to dismiss Hoggard with a toe-crushing yorker.

The three-wicket burst saw the debutant return an enviable first spell of8-2-15-3.

Flintoff and Harmison then took it upon themselves to defy the Indian attackand hit a couple of boundaries to consolidate their measly lead.

The indomitable England skipper duly completed his 20th Test 50 with fourfours and off 99 balls.

Harmison (13) was stumped by Mahendra Singh Dhoni off Kumble.

England's second innings ended when debutant leg-spinner Chawla claimed hismaiden Test wicket -- the prized scalp of Flintoff for 51 (106 balls, 4x4).

After having shown tremendous patience, Flintoff skied a sweep to backwardsquare fielder Patel who made no mistake in taking a fine catch.

PTI