/ 4 November 2004

Australia wreck India in final Test

Australia’s fast-bowler Jason Gillespie and debutant spinner Nathan Hauritz combined to bowl India out for 104 on the second morning of the fourth and final Test in India on Thursday.

Gillespie, who finished with 4-29, grabbed three wickets in the space of four runs, and Hauritz chipped in with 3-16 as India lasted only 41,3 overs on a wicket affording considerable bounce and movement to the bowlers.

India, who began the day at 22-2, collapsed to 33-5 before the last five wickets added 71 runs to lift the hosts past the 100-run mark.

Captain Rahul Dravid, leading India in the absence of the injured Sourav Ganguly, was the lone batsman to offer resistance with an unbeaten 31.

India were bowled out 10 minutes before the end of the morning session, which was extended by 30 minutes to accommodate the time lost on the first day when only 11 overs were bowled due to rain.

Australia already enjoy an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match series after winning the first and third Tests. The second Test was drawn.

India caved in tamely before about 10 000 horrified home fans at the Wankhede Stadium.

Sachin Tendulkar, looking hopelessly out of touch after his return from a tennis-elbow injury, failed on his home ground when he hung his bat out to Gillespie and was caught behind by Adam Gilchrist.

Tendulkar, who scored eight and two in the third Test at Nagpur, groped for 43 minutes to make five.

Venkatsai Laxman continued his poor run that fetched him just 53 runs in the previous three Tests, scoring only one when he edged Gillespie for an easy catch to Gilchrist.

Gillespie then brought one back on Mohammad Kaif, who offered no shot and was declared leg-before for two.

Debutant wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik at least managed to get into double figures — five top batsmen did not — before being yorked by third seamer Michael Kasprowicz for 10 to reduce India to 46-6.

Off-spinner Hauritz, who replaced the injured Shane Warne, struck with his third delivery in Test cricket when Anil Kumble spooned a catch to captain Ricky Ponting at mid-off.

Kumble made 16 in a seventh-wicket stand of 22 with Dravid.

Harbhajan Singh helped Dravid add 32 for the eighth wicket when he fell to a bat-pad catch off Hauritz for 14.

Hauritz also removed Murali Kartik before Kasprowicz terminated the innings by clean bowling last man Zaheer Khan. — Sapa-AFP