India's Dhoni sets a tough target for Australia

Australia face a stiff target to level the series against India after a crucial 108-run stand between Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh in the fourth and final Test here on Sunday. The visitors were 13 without loss at stumps on the penultimate day chasing 382 to win. Simon Katich (eight) and Matthew Hayden (five) were at the crease.
India were tottering at 166-6 in their second innings at the tea-break before posting 295, thanks to skipper Dhoni (55) and lower-order batsman Harbhajan (52). Dhoni and Harbhajan kept the Australian attack at bay with their responsible knocks after their team had lost six wickets for just 50 runs in a dramatic afternoon collapse.
India lead 1-0 in the series following their 320-run victory in the second Test in Mohali. The matches in Bangalore and New Delhi were drawn.
Debutant off-spinner Jason Krejza (4-143) grabbed two wickets off successive balls and seamer Shane Watson (4-42) two scalps in three overs to boost Australia's hopes of squaring the series.
Krejza, 25, took 12 wickets in the match. Australia's Bob Massey and India's Narendra Hirwani are the only bowlers to have bagged more than 12 wickets in a debut Test. Australia skipper Ricky Ponting considerably eased the pressure when he pressed part-time slow bowlers Michael Hussey and Michael Clarke into the attack in the last session, apparently to make up for a slow over-rate.
Under the International Cricket Council regulations, a captain can face a ban for his team's slow over-rate.
"My understanding was we were more than six overs behind at the tea-break. He (Ponting) is getting regular updates from umpires through match-referee Chris Broad as the day goes on," said Australia coach Tim Nielsen.
"I don't think he was warned as such. Everybody is aware of consequences. That's not necessarily an automatic suspension as I understand, but the captain then is put in a place where he can be suspended. Ricky was aware of that. "I don't think for one second Ricky hasn't pressed for the win. We were behind in our overs and hoped we could defend at the other end with another spinner. Unfortunately, we weren't able to keep it tight enough."
When Dhoni was caught by a diving Hussey at silly-point off Krejza after scoring a second successive half-century, his team was virtually safe - 360 runs ahead with three wickets in hand.
"We were not in a good position (at tea-break), but knew the part-time bowlers will bowl (because of the over-rate). We really took on the spinners to get some runs. That was the plan," said Dhoni. "We were happy to get runs on the board in that particular time. It's always tough when you have too many fast bowlers and at the start of the day you don't really have the over-rate in mind. The opponent can really capitalise on it.
"We were looking to set a target close to 360. I think it (the target) is quite tough, but not impossible. Everything is possible in cricket."
India threatened to bat Australia out of the match with a 116-run stand for the opening wicket between an aggressive Virender Sehwag (92) and debutant Murali Vijay (41) before Krejza and Watson struck.
Watson began the slide when he trapped Vijay leg-before and then had out-of-form Rahul Dravid (three) caught behind Dravid finished the series with just 120 runs at an average of 17.14.
Paceman Brett Lee, on a drip for dehydration on Saturday afternoon, bowled his heart out on an easy-paced pitch in his five-over second spell and got the prize wicket of Sehwag.
The Indian opener looked set to complete his 16th century in 64 Tests before edging a lifting delivery to wicket-keeper Brad Haddin, who dived to his left to bring off a low catch. Sehwag hit one six and 10 fours. Krejza, who became only the sixth bowler to take eight wickets in a debut innings on Friday, came back strongly to dismiss in-form Venkatsai Laxman and Sourav Ganguly with successive deliveries. He bowled Laxman (four) with a gem of a delivery that turned sharply from outside the off-stump to knock back the leg. Ganguly, applauded by the Australians when he walked in for his last Test innings, fell for a first-ball duck when he offered a return catch to diving Krejza.
SCOREBOARD:
-- India 1st innings 441 (S. Tendulkar 109, S. Ganguly 85; J. Krejza 8-215)
-- Australia 1st innings 355 (S. Katich 102, M. Hussey 90; H. Singh 3-94)
India 2nd innings (overnight 0-0):

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V. Sehwag c Haddin b Lee                   92

M. Vijay lbw b Watson                      41

R. Dravid c Haddin b Watson                 3

S. Tendulkar run out                       12

V. Laxman b Krejza                          4

S. Ganguly c and b Krejza                   0

MS Dhoni c Hussey b Krejza                 55

H. Singh b Watson                          52

Z. Khan c Haddin b Krejza                   6

A. Mishra b Watson                          7

I. Sharma not out                           1

Extras: (b6, lb3, nb2, w6, pen5)           22

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Total: (for all out)                      295

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Fall of wickets: 1-116 (Vijay), 2-132 (Dravid), 3-142 (Sehwag), 4-163 (Laxman), 5-163 (Ganguly), 6-166 (Tendulkar), 7-274 (Dhoni), 8-286 (Khan), 9-288 (Harbhajan).
Bowling: Johnson 14-4-22-0, Lee 10-3-27-1 (nb2), Krejza 31-3-143-4, Watson 15.4-2-42-4 (w1), White 2-0-15-0 (w5), Hussey 4-2-3-0, Clarke 6-1-29-0.
Overs: 82.4
Australia 2nd innings:

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M. Hayden not out                           5

S. Katich not out                           8

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Total: (for no loss)                       13

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