India were firmly in control of the final Test on Saturday after Australia’s uncharacteristically defensive batting on day three did little to help their chances of forcing a series-levelling victory.
The tourists needed a commanding first-innings score in a bid to avoid their first series defeat in three years but were bowled out for 355 after resuming on 189 for two.
Michael Hussey hit a resolute 90 after Simon Katich (102) completed his fifth Test century before India grabbed three wickets in the second session, third-Test centurion Michael Clarke’s dismissal triggering a collapse.
India finished with a first-innings lead of 86, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh having taken three for 94. The hosts were then nought without loss at the close.
Australia lost Clarke, Hussey and Shane Watson (2) for 11 runs and it was a combination of the team’s defensive approach and India’s accurate bowling that kept the scoring down.
The tourists added 166 runs in 85.4 overs at a snail’s pace while losing eight wickets.
Long spells
Katich and Hussey helped to keep Australia in the hunt with a third-wicket stand of 155 but fast bowlers Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan bowled long spells to packed off-side fields to dry up the runs.
Zaheer trapped Katich lbw before the wiry Sharma dismissed Clarke for eight with a beauty, the ball straightening to square up the batsman and forcing an edge to wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
In-form Hussey, who scored a century in the opening Test and half-centuries in the other two matches, was run out by debutant Murali Vijay at silly point.
Watson fell to Harbhajan when the ball rolled on to the stumps after he had pushed at it with the bat.
Brad Haddin (28) and plucky Cameron White (46) put on 52 for the seventh wicket before Amit Mishra removed Haddin with a big leg-break that kissed the bat and flew to Rahul Dravid at slip as the batsman shaped to leave the ball. – Reuters