India close to win second test at Mohali : Day 4

Harbhajan Singh and Ishant Sharma wrecked Australia's top order to leave India on the verge of a big win in the second test on Monday.

Australia were 141 for five at stumps on day four after India set an improbable 516-run fourth innings victory target, giving themselves four-and-a-half sessions to seize a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.

At close, Michael Clarke (42no) and Brad Haddin (37no) were waging a grim battle after adding 83 runs for an unbroken sixth-wicket stand.

Off-spinner Harbhajan took three for 23 and Sharma two for 29 as half the batsmen fell before the 17th over.

Led by opener Gautam Gambhir's 104, India raced to 314-3 before stand-in skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni opted to end the innings one hour after lunch.

India's performance contrasted with Australia's failure with both bat and ball on the slow Mohali pitch.

Harbhajan derailed Australian hopes of saving the game as the openers made a desperate bid to hit their way out of trouble.

Introduced in the last over before tea, he removed Matthew Hayden (29) leg before with his second delivery and then fellow left-hander Simon Katich (20) four balls later.

The openers had struck a flurry of boundaries until Harbhajan trapped Hayden in front with a delivery that pitched on off-stump and held its line as he tried to sweep.

Hayden, a big success in India in the past, has made scores of 0, 13, 0 and 29 so far in this series.

Katich cut a wide delivery uppishly and Sachin Tendulkar took a superb diving catch at backward point.

Australia were down to 52 for four soon after the break when Mike Hussey (1) and skipper Ricky Ponting (2), who both struck hundreds in the drawn first test, fell at the same score.

Left-hander Gambhir, who made his second test century, and fellow Delhi batsman Virender Sehwag piled on 182 runs for the opening wicket after India had resumed on their overnight 100-0.

Gambhir hit seven fours and one six facing 138 balls until he holed out leg spinner Cameron White after reaching his hundred.

Sehwag was caught behind for 90 against paceman Peter Siddle to miss out on a 16th test hundred on his 30th birthday.

The aggressive opener, who survived a caught behind appeal on 88, hit eight fours from 122 balls in three hours.

Dhoni shuffled the batting order and scored a breezy 68 not out after promoting himself to number three, having scored 92 in the first innings.

Viralink

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