Australian captain Ricky Ponting defied India’s bowlers with a half-century as his team fought for survival in the final Test yesterday.
After Sachin Tendulkar had made 214 to give India a slender 17-run lead, the Aussies slumped to 131-5 in their second innings before recovering to post 202-7 by stumps on the fourth day.
Ponting had made 72 when seamer Zaheer Khan trapped him leg-before towards the end of the day’s play to put India on top.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Australia start the final day’s play 185 runs ahead with three wickets in hand.
India’s spin twins, Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha, wrecked Australia’s top-order on a wearing wicket at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore that assisted turn.
Openers Shane Watson and Simon Katich put on 58, before both fell in the space of four deliveries.
Watson was trapped leg-before by left-arm spinner Ojha, while Katich edged a catch to wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni in off-spinner Harbhajan’s next over.
Seven runs later, Michael Clarke was stumped by Dhoni off Ojha to reduce the tourists to 65-3.
Michael Hussey put on 61 for the fourth wicket with Ponting, before he was leg-before to Ojha for 20 and Marcus North was bowled by Harbhajan for three.
Tim Paine (23) added 50 with Ponting and when play ended Mitchell Johnson was on seven with Nathan Hauritz on eight.
Earlier, India took their overnight score of 435-5 to 495 before they were all out on the stroke of lunch, Tendulkar’s dismissal triggering a collapse in which the last five Indian wickets fell for nine runs.
Tendulkar reached his double century 25 minutes after the start with a single off Ben Hilfenhaus.
It was his sixth double-century and his second in four Tests, having made 203 against Sri Lanka in Colombo in July.
Tendulkar was dismissed when he edged an intended cut off fast bowler Peter George onto his stumps, giving the South Australian a treasured first Test wicket.
Hauritz claimed the last two wickets to finish with two for 153 from 39.5 overs.
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