Sydney, January 6:

Michael Clarke took three Indian wickets in the scheduled penultimate over on Sunday to secure Australia’s world record-equalling 16th consecutive Test win.

A part-time spinner, Clarke was only thrown into the attack in a desperate bid to remove India’s tailenders. With just 12 scheduled balls left in the match, Clarke struck on the first, second and fifth deliveries of his second over to bowl out India for 210 after being set 333 to win the second Test.

It was a dramatic end to a controversial Test. India captain Anil Kumble had batted for 127 minutes with the lower order and remained unbeaten on 45, as Harbhajan Singh (7), RP Singh (0) and Ishant Sharma (0) were all dismissed. After narrowly missing a draw, India are 2-0 down in the four-Test series.

Until Clarke’s amazing over, two names dominated the Sydney Cricket Ground Test: Andrew Symonds and Harbhajan Singh. The absorbing Test will be tainted by some poor umpiring decisions — mostly against India — and the racism allegation made by the Australians against Harbhajan Singh.

Australia declared their second innings at 401-7 — with Mike Hussey making an unbeaten 145 — giving themselves just two sessions to bowl out the tourists. India’s inning began poorly when Wasim Jaffer (0) was out to Brett Lee on the fifth ball. First innings century-makers Sachin Tendulkar (12) and VVS Laxman (20) were dismissed by Stuart Clark and India’s position deteriorated when Rahul Dravid was given out caught behind off Symonds. The ball appeared to clip Dravid’s pad before going through to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist. Yuvraj Singh went in the same mode after facing three balls without scoring and India were 115-5.

The last recognised batsman, Sourav Ganguly, was out for 51 to a low catch by Clarke off Brett Lee, making 137-6 and leaving the tailenders 38 overs to survive and salvage a draw. Umpire Mark Benson was slow to give Ganguly out and the former India captain was reluctant to leave the crease after a decision that should have been referred to the TV umpire.

Symonds, on top of his unbeaten 162 in the first innings and 61 in the second, took three wickets in the final session to help Australia equal the streak they set between October 1999 and February 2001. That run came to end against India at Kolkata in one of the great Test comebacks in history.

Having dismissed Dravid and Yuvraj Singh in the space of four balls, Symonds returned later to end Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s defiant two-hour stand, trapping him lbw for 35. India had slumped to 185-7, and Clarke did the rest.

SCOREBOARD

AUSTRALIA — 1st Innings: 463

INDIA — 1st Innings: 532

AUSTRALIA — 2nd Inngs (overnight 282-4)

M Hussey not out 145

A Symonds c Dhoni b Singh 61

A Gilchrist c Yuvraj b Kumble 1

B Hogg c Dravid b Harbhajan 1

B Lee not out 4

Extras: 23 (b3, lb8, w3, nb9)

Total: 401/7 (declared)

FoW: 1-85, 2-90, 3-250, 4-250, 5-378,

6-393, 7-395

India bowling: Singh 16-2-74-1,

Sharma 14-2-59-0, Harbhajan 33-6-92-2, Kumble 40-3-148-4, Tendulkar 2-0-6-0,

Yuvraj 2-0-11-0

INDIA — 2nd Innings

W Jaffer c Clarke b Lee 0

R Dravid c Gilchrist b Symonds 38

V Laxman lbw b Clark 20

S Tendulkar b Clark 12

S Ganguly c Clarke b Lee 51

Y Singh c Gilchrist b Symonds 0

M Dhoni lbw b Symonds 35

A Kumble not out 45

H Singh c Hussey b Clarke 7

R Singh lbw b Clarke 0

I Sharma c Hussey b Clarke 0

Extras: 2 (nb2)

Total: 210

Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-34, 3-54, 4-115,

5-115, 6-137, 7-185, 8-210, 9-210

Australia bowling: Lee 13-3-34-2,

Johnson 11-4-33-0, Clark 12-4-32-2,

Hogg 14-2-55-0, Symonds 19-5-51-3, Clarke 1.5-0-5-3