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Lee and Clark put Australia in driving seat against India

Brett Lee and Stuart Clark captured four wickets each to deliver Australia a potential match-winning innings lead over India in the first Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground yesterday.

Faltering India conceded a 147-run innings deficit on a wearing pitch with the opening match of the four-Test series seemingly Australia's to lose over the remaining three days.

At stumps, Australia were on track for their 15th consecutive Test win and were cruising at 32 without loss with Matthew Hayden on 22 and Phil Jaques 10, representing an overall lead of 179 runs with 10 wickets intact.

Seamer Clark struck three times in 12 balls in his 4-28 to seize the initiative sparked by the coveted scalp of Sachin Tendulkar and Lee continued his glorious summer to finish with 4-46.

Clark removed Tendulkar just when the "The Little Master" appeared to be in ominous touch and followed up with the dismissals of Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Dhoni in the same over either side of tea.

Tendulkar was in his pomp, caressing drives and cuts for boundaries and hit leg-spinner Brad Hogg for a huge six before he chopped a Clark delivery on to his stumps for 62.

"Yesterday we were in good position and today it's not the same for us," Tendulkar said. "We definitely should have played better but the match is not over yet and we will continue to fight."

Australia's last-wicket pair, Clark and Johnson, lasted 16 balls at the start of the day and added six runs before Clark was out for 21 hooking paceman Zaheer Khan.

Zaheer finished with 4-94 off 23.4 overs while Kumble took 5-84 off 25 overs.
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