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India post mammoth target
25/01/2008 08:31 - (SA)
Adelaide - Captain Anil Kumble fell just short of a second Test century as India's tail wagged strongly on the second day of the fourth Test against Australia on Friday.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, India were dismissed for 526 just after tea on the second day.
Kumble was the last man out, caught behind by Adam Gilchrist for 87 off the bowling of Mitchell Johnson, having added 58 for the last wicket with number 11 Ishant Sharma.
The catch was Gilchrist's fourth for the innings and earned him the record for wicketkeeping dismissals, his tally of 414 one ahead of South Africa's Mark Boucher.
However, it was India's day as their tail did a fine job after they were 359 for seven.
The tourists were aided by a host of dropped catches from the normally clinical Australians.
Sharma was given three lives, including a simple return catch from the bowling of Michael Clarke, who has split a number of chances during the series, when he was on four.
Kumble, dropped by Phil Jaques on seven, was at the crease for 260 minutes, faced 205 balls and hit nine fours.
India's hopes of posting more than 400 seemed in jeopardy when Sachin Tendulkar's majestic knock ended on 153, but Kumble and Harbhajan Singh (63) then put on 107 for the eighth wicket.
Harbhajan's entertaining knock finally came to an end when he tried to hit Andrew Symonds out of the ground and only skied the ball off a top edge, Gilchrist taking an easy catch.
Tendulkar's superb knock finally came to an end when he holed out to Brad Hogg on the square leg boundary from the bowling of Brett Lee.
It was the first ball after Tendulkar received extended treatment to his knee, having been struck a painful blow when he miscued an attempted pull off the previous ball from the Australian paceman.
Tendulkar went into the match with just 122 runs at 20.33 in his three previous visits to Adelaide Oval, but made sure his last Test at the home ground of his idol Sir Donald Bradman would be a memorable one with his 39th century.
He had looked in magnificent touch on the second day, playing some glorious shots in the first hour of play before being struck by Lee the ball after reaching 150.
Tendulkar, who has 480 runs at 80 in the series, faced 205 balls and hit 13 fours and three sixes, earning a pat on the back from the successful bowler and a standing ovation as he left the field.
Lee was again the most impressive of the Australian bowlers with 3-101, while Johnson finished with 4-126.
India are 2-1 down in the series and cannot regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
- AFP
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