Ton-up Clarke rescues Australia

CRICKET: NEW DELHI, Nov 1, 2008 (AFP) - Michael Clarke hit a gritty century to steer Australia to safety on the fourth day of the third Test against a sloppy India here on Saturday.

Clarke, 27, led Australia’s commendable fightback with a 112-run knock that spanned six hours and took the tourists to a first innings score of 577 all out, just 36 adrift of India’s 613-7 declared.

The visitors then reduced India to 43-2 with Brett Lee accounting for Virender Sehwag (12) and Stuart Clark dismissing nightwatchman Ishant Sharma for one.

India’s first-innings double-centurion Gautam Gambhir was batting on 21 with Rahul Dravid on five at close.

With just four sessions of play remaining and the wicket not showing much signs of deterioration, a draw looks the only likely result.

India lead the four-match Test series 1-0 after winning the second Test in Mohali by 320 runs.

The opener in Bangalore ended in a draw.

The platform for Australia’s fightback was laid by their top-order batsmen, each of who made handy contributions before Clarke came to the party with his eighth Test century.

NDIA - 1ST INNINGS 613-7
AUSTRALIA - 1ST INNINGS

M. Hayden lbw b Sehwag			 83
S. Katich b Mishra	 		 64
R. Ponting b Sehwag	 		 87
M. Hussey b Sehwag	 		 53
M. Clarke c Zaheer b Mishra		112
S. Watson b Sehwag			 36
B. Haddin st Dhoni b Kumble		 17
C. White b Sehwag	 		 44
B. Lee lbw b Kumble	 		  8
M. Johnson c and b Kumble		 15
S. Clark not out	  		  1
Extras: (b28, lb17, nb10, w2)	 	 57
TOTAL (All Out)				577

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-123 (Katich), 2-202 (Hayden), 3-284 (Ponting), 
	   	 4-326 (Hussey), 5-399 (Watson), 6-426 (Haddin), 7-532 (White), 
		 8-555 (Lee), 9-567 (Clarke), 10-577 (Johnson).

BOWLING: Zaheer 23-5-86-0 (nb2), 
	 Sharma 25-5-84-0 (nb2, w2), 
	 Kumble 43.3-9-112-3 (nb2), 
	 Mishra 47-12-144-2 (nb4), 
	 Sehwag 40-9-104-5, 
	 Tendulkar 1-0-2-0.

INDIA - 2ND INNINGS
G. Gambhir not out	 		21
V. Sehwag b Lee	 			16
I. Sharma c Ponting b Clark	         1
R. Dravid not out	 	 	 5
TOTAL (for two wickets)	 		43

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-29 (Sehwag), 2-34 (Sharma).

BOWLING: Lee 6-1-19-1, 
	 Clark 5-2-16-1, 
	 Clarke 1-0-3-0, 
	 Katich 1-0-5-0.