http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746
India have faltered in their chase of a modest 216-run victory target in their Test against Australia in Mohali as the visitors unsettled the home side with a short-ball strategy early in the fourth innings of the match.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/MS-Dhoni-c2028’s men will recommence their chase on day five 161 runs short of their required target with six wickets in hand.
Australia began the day with a slender 23-run lead against the hosts, and first innings centurion Shane Watson soon set about increasing the gap between the sides, regularly finding the boundary in the early overs and clearing it in the seventh as he carted a Pragyan Ojha delivery for six.
Simon Katich soon brought up his 4,000th Test run as he edged Harbhajan Singh to the boundary – finding the gap between the wicketkeeper and first slip – and Watson raced to his half century as the pair built an 87-run opening partnership.
It was http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ishant-Sharma-c64566 with his first wicket of the innings, finishing with a score of 56 from 59 balls.
The all-rounder’s departure saw Ricky Ponting (four) make a brief appearance in the middle, taking four from the first ball he faced but departing three balls later as he pulled another Sharma delivery into the waiting hands of Suresh Raina.
Michael http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120 (four) would have been caught at midwicket the next ball had Sharma not overstepped the mark on that occasion, but the paceman soon has his man as the Australia vice-captain was caught behind attempting to defend himself against a well-executed bouncer as Sharma (who finished with figures of 3-34) singlehandedly snatching the momentum from the Australians.
Katich and Michael Hussey steadied the ship for the visitors – though but for a dropped catch the latter would have departed for six – taking Ponting’s side through to lunch without further loss.
It was Katich (37) who was the first to depart, caught behind as Ojha changed his tactics and started to bowl around the wicket with almost immediate effect to end a slow and steady 42-run partnership.
As was the case in the day’s first session, India arrived at the break amid a flurry of wickets, adding Hussey (lbw to Harbhajan for 28) and Marcus North (a disappointing 10 to follow his first innings duck) in the final three overs before tea, as Australia began the final session of the day with a 188-run lead.
The home side turned the screws at the start of the final session as Tim Paine was caught for nine; Mitchell Johnson was caught behind for three; and Nathan Hauritz departed for nine after Zaheer http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Khan-c71319 rattled his stumps with some reverse swing.
Ben Hilfenhaus (six) ultimately became the last wicket to fall as Khan (3-43) finished his demolition of the Australian tail with a brilliant yorker than uprooted the batsman’s middle stump as Australia were all-out for 192, with a lead of 215.
It was Hilfenhaus though who drew the first blood for Australia, dismissing http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Gautam-Gambhir-c58623 lbw for a fourth ball duck, although the tourists might have been lucky to gain the early breakthrough as there did appear to be an inside edge onto his pads.
Doug Bollinger, who had softened http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Rahul-c83321 Dravid up with a vicious bouncer that collected the batsman on the shoulder only a few overs earlier, drew an edge in the eighth over as the 37-year-old was caught behind for 13 as Ponting’s men made a positive start to their defence of a modest target.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Virender-Sehwag-c95429’s dismissal for 17 provided the Australians with even more reason to celebrate; Hilfenhaus claiming the crucial wicket with a short ball the opener gently sent in Hussey’s direction at gully.
Suresh Raina (duck) was the next victim of a bouncer, and Hilfenhaus’s third victim of the innings, as India were left struggling on 48-4 before finishing the day on a score of 55-4, with Sachin Tendulkar (10) and Khan (five) the not out batsmen.
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