MOHALI, Oct 4 (PTI): Poor shot selection and an umpiring error today put India in dire straits as they were left tottering at 55 for four chasing a victory target of 216 against Australia on the penultimate day of the first cricket Test here.
Indian top order batsmen squandered the advantage their bowlers gave them today by bundling out Australia to 192 in just 60.5 overs at the PCA stadium here. But an intriguing last day is on cards as Sachin Tendulkar stands between an Australian victory and India retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. India still need 161 runs for a win with six second innings wickets intact.
Sachin, who missed a century by just two runs in the first innings, looked composed during his 25-ball unbeaten 10 and will be the man who has to score the bulk of the remaining 161 runs if India to win the Test.
Gautam Gambhir (0), who was given leg before to Ben Hilfenhaus, should consider himself distinctly unlucky. He was done in by a Billy Bowden howler as television replays showed that the ball got a thick inside edge before hitting the pads. Virender Sehwag (17) and Suresh Raina (0) were out to short pitched stuff. Rahul Dravid (13) got a good away-going delivery from Doug Bollinger which kissed the edge of his bat to Tim Paine�s gloves.
Sehwag just poked at a rising delivery from Hilfenhaus which was gleefully accepted by Mike Hussey at gully.
Raina, known for his susceptibility against deliveries rising from back of the length, took his eyes off and the leading edge flew to Marcus North standing at wide third slip.
Inexplicably, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni chose to send Zaheer Khan as nightwatchman when Australian pacers were spitting fire instead of coming in himself.
It was, however, a clinical performance by the bowling quartet of Ishant Sharma (3/34), Zaheer Khan (3/43), Harbhajan Singh (2/40) and Pragyan Ojha (2/59) that seemingly put India in the drivers� seat before the Australian bowlers pegged back the Indians in the final hour of the day.
If the Australian bowlers brought them back into the match, their batsmen earlier could not capitalise from a position of a strength.
Openers Shane Watson (56 from 59 balls) and Simon Katich (37 from 118 balls) put on 87 runs in 18 overs as Australia threatened to set a formidable target. But suddenly, from 87 for no loss, Australia crumbled to 192 all out in 60.5 overs.
Ishant Sharma rocked the Australian top-order in a two over spell, removing dangerous Watson, skipper Ricky Ponting (4) and his deputy Michael Clarke (4). After that the hosts controlled the proceedings.
Among Ishant�s three victims, Watson would curse himself for doing a hara-kiri. Ishant bowled one wide outside the off-stump and the opener went for a wild slog over deep mid-wicket but only managed to drag it back onto his stumps.
Ponting started with a boundary but Ishant got his man when Australian skipper pulled a short one straight into the hands of backward square leg which was specifically stationed for that particular shot. Suresh Raina took a well-judged catch.
The lanky speedster from Delhi was over the moon when he got Michael Clarke to flick one to short mid-wicket where Virender Sehwag was standing
However, as Clarke was about to walk back, umpire Billy Bowden, who had apprehensions that Ishant may just have overstepped, referred to third umpire Sanjay Hazare.
The television replays showed that Ishant had overstepped and Bowden�s decision was vindicated.
SCORECARD
Australia 1st innings 428
India 1st innings 405
Australia 2nd innings: Shane Watson b Ishant 56, Simon Katich c Dhoni b Ojha 37, Ricky Ponting c Raina b Ishant 4, Michael Clarke c Dhoni b Ishant 4, Mike Hussey lbw b Harbhajan 28, Marcus North c sub b Harbhajan 10, Tim Paine c sub b Ojha 9, Mitchell Johnson c Dhoni b Zaheer 3, Natan Hauritz b Zaheer 9, Ben Hilfenhaus b Zaheer 6, Dough Bollinger not out 5. Extras: (B-12, LB-4, NB-5) 21. Total: (All out in 60.5 overs) 192. Fall of wickets: 1/87 2/91 3/96 4/138 5/154 6/165 7/165 8/170 9/183. Bowling: Zaheer Khan 11.5-1-43-3; Ishant Sharma 9-2-34-3; Harbhajan Singh 23-7-40-2; Pragyan Ojha 17-1-59-2.
India 2nd innings (target 216): Gautam Gambhir lbw b Hilfenhaus 0, Virender Sehwag c Hussey b Hilfenhaus 17, Rahul Dravid c Paine b Bollinger 13, Sachin Tendulkar batting 10, Suresh Raina c North b Hilfenhaus 0, Zaheer Khan batting 5. Extras: (B-4, W-6) 10. Total: (for four wickets; 17 overs) 55. Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-31, 3-48, 4-48. Bowling: Ben Hilfenhaus 7-2-22-3, Doug Bollinger 4-0-17-1, Mitchell Johnson 5-1-11-0, Nathan Hauritz 1-0-1-0.
