Indian openers fail in rain-hit fourth Test

Openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir failed to survive on a damp wicket on Wednesday as Australia took the early initiative in the fourth and final Testby leaving India struggling on 22 for two. Sehwag, India's only in-form batsman this season, was the first to go when he was bowled by Glenn McGrath on a first-day track where the ball was skidding through.
Gambhir fell off the next ball, trapped lbw by Jason Gillespie with a delivery that came in sharply as India tumbled to 11 for two.
Both the openers had got half-chances off the first balls they faced, Sehwag (8) dropped by Nathan Hauritz and Gambhir (3) put down by Simon Katich on forward short leg. Local hero Sachin Tendulkar was batting on two with stand-in captain Rahul Dravid on nine when play was finally called off due to bad light with just 11 overs bowled all day.
Australia have already won the Test series 2-0 by winning the first Test in Bangalore and third test in Nagpur. It was their first series win in India since Bill Lawry's team in 1969. Freak November rain in Bombay started at 0500 local time and continued for six hours, washing out the first session.
Groundsmen dried the ground with mops and buckets and a Super Sopper was used on the bowlers' run-up, which was one of the main areas of concern.
Only 22 minutes of play was possible in the second session, light drizzle forcing umpires Rudi Koertzen of South Africa and Pakistan's Aleem Dar to call early tea.
The wicket was covered again for more than two hours before play resumed late in the evening, only to be called off again after 27 minutes because of poor floodlights.
India, who won the toss and elected to bat, were still without injured captain Saurav Ganguly.
They picked two uncapped players in a bid to bring some fresh blood in the side - Gambhir for opener Aakash Chopra and wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik for Parthiv Patel.
The hosts entered the match with three spinners and Zaheer Khan as the only genuine paceman.
Tendulkar, an occasional spinner, will open the bowling for the first time in his career with his wobbly seamers.
Skipper Ricky Ponting returned to the Australian team after missing the first three Tests due to injury. But the visitors are without Shane Warne, who is out with a broken thumb.
Off-spinner Hauritz comes in to make his debut, becoming Australia 390th Test player.
SCOREBOARD
India (1st innings):

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G.Gambhir lbw b Gillespie               3

V.Sehwag b McGrath                      8

R.Dravid not out                        9

S.Tendulkar not out                     2

EXTRAS:                                 0

TOTAL: (for two wickets, 11 overs)     22

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