After the satisfaction of Simon Katich's century came prolonged frustration for Australia yesterday, when India clawed back the advantage by stealth to take charge of a fluctuating fourth Test.The Australians were curtailed by India's negative tactics and failed to seize the initiative on the third day in Nagpur, and last night were bowled out for 355 just before stumps, 86 runs short of India's total, having added only 166 runs in almost three excruciating sessions.
From the moment Katich was dropped on 94 chasing a wide delivery from Ishant Sharma, he and Australia were frustrated by the defensive approach from India, who only need to draw the match to win the series and steal the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
An annoyed Katich last night took exception to a suggestion in the post-match press conference that the Australian batsmen played defensively.
"You're kidding me, aren't you? We were defensive with an 8-1 field? You obviously don't understand the game," the opener said.
"Huss [Mike Hussey] and I were pretty content to try and wait it out and reap the rewards later in the day; unfortunately that didn't happen due to both of us getting out.
"When it doesn't come off it doesn't look great, but had we been able to ride it out and get through the end of the day, when we were scoring a bit easier, the plan was to be able to draw level with India and possibly go past them. Unfortunately that didn't come off."
However, he said he was not surprised at India's approach: "Not at all. They know they don't have to win the Test match."
When Katich converted his fifth Test hundred with a glide behind point, the rugged opener's wide smile hinted at the relief he felt after faltering twice in the 60s this series.
The smile was replaced by a dark look, however, when Zaheer Khan trapped him lbw for 102, thundering a reverse-swinging yorker into his boot - although the replay suggested the ball may have missed leg stump. Katich said his conversation with umpire Aleem Dar on his way off was unrelated to the decision or anything Zaheer said after the dismissal.
Katich's departure preceded a dramatic middle-order collapse, in which the Australians lost 3-10 in 37 balls and relinquished their hard-won momentum.
Sharma produced one of his gems to capture Michael Clarke for eight with a ball that shaped subtly away and touched the outside edge, but the real turning point came with the desperately unlucky dismissals of Mike Hussey for 90 and Shane Watson.
Hussey thought he had beaten Murali Vijay at short leg when he started to hustle for a single, only to see the Indian debutant lunge to stop the ball and flick it back to wicketkeeper Mahendra Dhoni before he could make his ground.
It was the second time Vijay had struck in the field, having hit the stumps to dismiss Matthew Hayden the previous day.
Watson watched helplessly as a defensive shot off Harbhajan Singh bobbled back into his stumps, leaving the inexperienced pair of Brad Haddin and Cameron White to take Australia to 6-280 at tea.
Haddin and White put together a solid partnership of 52, but the wicketkeeper was caught at slip trying to pad away a ball from leg spinner Amit Mishra, when his bat got in the way. His wicket reduced Australia to 7-318 midway through the final session, still 123 short of India's first-innings total.
White fought hard but succumbed to Harbhajan for 46, the Victorian skipper's highest Test score.
Earlier, Katich and Hussey took up Australia's fight to save the series at 2-189. In stark contrast with Katich's fluent approach the previous day, the opener added only 10 runs in almost two hours. Zaheer and Sharma bowled wide of off stump and Dhoni set 8-1 fields to deny the Australian batsmen any momentum.
When Harbhajan came belatedly into the attack, Dhoni placed six men on the leg side, and the first session produced only 42 runs - hardly a spectacle befitting such a series.
Hussey thought he had beaten Murali Vijay at short leg when he started to hustle for a single, only to see the Indian debutant lunge to stop the ball and flick it back to wicketkeeper Mahendra Dhoni before he could make his ground.
It was the second time Vijay had struck in the field, having hit the stumps to dismiss Matthew Hayden the previous day.
Watson watched helplessly as a defensive shot off Harbhajan Singh bobbled back into his stumps, leaving the inexperienced pair of Brad Haddin and Cameron White to take Australia to 6-280 at tea.
Haddin and White put together a solid partnership of 52, but the wicketkeeper was caught at slip trying to pad away a ball from leg spinner Amit Mishra, when his bat got in the way. His wicket reduced Australia to 7-318 midway through the final session, still 123 short of India's first-innings total.
White fought hard but succumbed to Harbhajan for 46, the Victorian skipper's highest Test score.
Earlier, Katich and Hussey took up Australia's fight to save the series at 2-189. In stark contrast with Katich's fluent approach the previous day, the opener added only 10 runs in almost two hours. Zaheer and Sharma bowled wide of off stump and Dhoni set 8-1 fields to deny the Australian batsmen any momentum.
When Harbhajan came belatedly into the attack, Dhoni placed six men on the leg side, and the first session produced only 42 runs - hardly a spectacle befitting such a series.
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