Inspired batting by Rahul Dravid and V V S Laxman enabled Rest of India score a three-wicket victory over Mumbai and win the Irani Cup on the penultimate day of the five-day match on Sunday.

At the end of day 3, most spectators at the M A Chidambaram stadium in Chennai went home expecting Mumbai to wrap up tie on the fourth morning itself. But they did not count on a splendid 168-run partnership between Dravid and Laxman turning the tide Rest of India's way on Sunday.

While Dravid (121) was the rock of the Rest of the India innings, Laxman (99) was in a brilliant, attacking frame of mind. Their running between the wickets and understanding of the situation was superb. While they were at the crease Mumbai were given no chance.

Even before the start of the day's play, it was clear that Rest of India, who were chasing a victory target of 340 runs, would need to counter the threat posed by Ramesh Powar, who had done them in in the first innings. That task was left to Dravid. In Powar's first over, the India vice-captain slammed him for a six over long-on and then he repeated the act in the off-spinner's next over.

That was not all. In the final session of the match, Powar was slammed for 21 runs in one over, which was enough for Tendulkar to take him out of the attack. By the time Powar was given another bowl it was too late.

Laxman's grace was complimented by Dravid's doughtiness and Tendulkar was a beaten man for the first time as Mumbai skipper. A match that was all but wrapped up, slipped away from Mumbai's grasp.

Before the start of the match, Dravid had mentioned that domestic results are often bragged about in the India dressing room. By virtue of that fact, Tendulkar would have a hard time in the next series.

Bahutule eventually claimed the wickets of both Dravid, caught by wicketkeeper Vinayak Samant, and Laxman, caught by Vinayak Mane, to reduce Rest of India 305 for the loss of five wickets.

But skipper Sourav Ganguly scored a quick 28 (34 balls) and led his side home despite losing the wickets of Yuvraj Singh and Parthiv Patel in quick succession.

Earlier, a sterling performance by night-watchman Laxmipathi Balaji (26) set Rest of India on the road to victory.

Even more than Dravid, who was batting at the other end, it was Balaji who allayed fears about the wicket in the Rest of India dressing room. Playing with the calm that is normally the preserve of a much better batsman than his number 11 status would suggest, Balaji displayed a very simple and compact techinique as he went about frustrating Mumbai's bowlers. While he was there, the pitch seemed to hold no terrors.

For most of the morning session Tendulkar struggled to come to terms with the Rest of India pair. He tried everything from pace to spin and even non regular bowlers, like Nishit Shetty, but failed to effect the breakthrough.

Only late in the morning session, when Powar started bowling from the pavilion end again after the drinks break, did Balaji finally play a false shot. The medium-pacer failed to keep an attempted sweep down and hit it straight to Ajit Agarkar, at square-leg, who made no mistake.

Scoreboard

Mumbai (1st innings): 297

Rest of India (1st innings): 202

Mumbai (2nd innings): 244

Rest of India (2nd innings):
S Bangar lbw Agarkar 1
V Sehwag c Powar b Morris 36
R Dravid c Samant b Bahutule 121
L Balaji c Agarkar b Powar 26
V V S Laxman c Mane b Bahutule 99
S Ganguly not out 27
Y Singh c Agarkar b Powar 5
P Patel c Mane b Bahutle 0
A Kimble not out 11

Extras (b-3, lb-1, nb-8, w-2): 14

Total (for 7 wkts, 100.4 overs):  340

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-55, 3-123, 4-291, 5-305, 6-312, 7-312.

Bowling: Salvi 16-6-44-0, Agarkar 19-6-68-1, Morris 12-3-39-1, Powar 20.4-3-104-2, Tendulkar 7-4-16-0, Shetty 2-0-4-0, Bahutule 24-6-61-3.