 Australia set to seal series in Adelaide
27th Jan 2008 20:00 IST
Agencies
Australia today were set to clinch the Test series against India at the close of the penultimate day's play in the fourth and final Test in Adelaide during which they took a small first innings lead and knocked off one Indian wicket in the second innings, leaving only two possible results – a likely draw or a defeat for the visitors.
Already 2-1 up in the hard-fought series, the home side more than matched India's first innings big total of 526 by being all out for 563, a lead of 37 runs. India batted for just over an hour in the second innings during which they lost opener Irfan Pathan (0) before ending the day at 45/1, a slender lead of eight runs.
Australia's first innings response was built around Ricky Ponting's first century in the series, a gritty 140, and a century by Michael Clarke (118) on top of the century by opener Matthew Hayden (103).
Wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, in his last Test innings, made a low 14 but was cheered lustily both by the Indian team and the spectators as he walked up to the wicket and back to the pavilion, marking an end to a great career.
The Indian bowlers toiled hard on a batsman-friendly wicket with Ishant Sharma, bowling consistently around 140 kmh, being the best taking 3/115 and his new ball partner Irfan Pathan also ended with 3/112.
Part-time spinner Virender Sehwag bowled well for his 2/51 but Harbhajan Singh (1/128) and Anil Kumble (1/109) were disappointing.
Sehwag (31) and Rahul Dravid (11) had managed to hang around and wipe out the lead till close.
Dravid batted cautiously but Sehwag couldn't help but strike a six and a four off Andrew Symonds in the penultimate over of the day.
Ponting and Clarke alone didn't hog the day's spotlight, the specks of ray also felt in a little cameo by Gilchrist as well as the 100th wicket of Pathan who managed the feat in his 28th Test.
Ponting, resuming on 79 in the team total of 322/3, duly reached his century in the first session though there was an alarm when a miscued pull off Sharma just eluded Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
The Australian skipper duly reached his 34th Test century with a single off Harbhajan, fittingly since the latter was his tormentor throughout the series. While Ponting took 114 balls for his first half century, his second took only 69 balls, before the back spasms necessitated a runner for him in the second session.
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