Three-wicket Hilfenhaus rocks India

Fast bowler Ben Hilfenhaus grabbed three key wickets in the final session to boost Australia's hopes of winning the opening Test against India on Monday. India, needing 216 to win in their second innings, were wobbling at 55-4 at stumps on the penultimate day, with Hilfenhaus finishing with 3-22 off seven sharp overs.
With middle-order batsman Venkatsai Laxman suffering from a stiff back, India's hopes largely rest with Sachin Tendulkar who finished the day unbeaten on 10. Nightwatchman Zaheer Khan was batting on five.
Opener Gautam Gambhir was unlucky to be given out leg-before in Hilfenhaus's opening over as TV replays suggested he had inside-edged the delivery on to his pads. Rahul Dravid (13) was caught behind off paceman Doug Bollinger, while Virender Sehwag (17) and Suresh Raina (0) fell to short rising deliveries from Hilfenhaus. Sehwag was caught by Michael Hussey at gully, while Raina was caught by Marcus North in the slips.
"If we manage to get Sachin out early tomorrow morning, it will make things easy for us," said Hilfenhaus. "We have to come out in the morning and target each of the remaining batsmen with a specific plan. We are definitely going out for a win. Indian paceman Ishant Sharma earlier grabbed three key wickets in two overs as Australia were bowled out for 192 in their second innings.
He removed Shane Watson (56), skipper Ricky Ponting (four) and Michael Clarke (four) in the opening two overs of his second spell in the morning. Spinners Harbhajan Singh (2-40) and Pragyan Ojha (2-59) kept the pressure on the middle order on a wearing track, before left-arm paceman Zaheer (3-43) ended the innings with the last three wickets. Off-spinner Harbhajan trapped Hussey (28) leg-before and then had North (10) caught by close-in substitute fielder Cheteshwar Pujara.
Left-arm spinner Ojha had Simon Katich caught behind after the opener had batted patiently for his 37 runs. Both Katich and Hussey completed 4,000 Test runs during their knocks. Australia's batting problems began when Watson dragged a Sharma delivery on to his stumps after hitting one six and seven fours in his 59-ball knock. Three balls later, Sharma removed Ponting who pulled straight to Raina at backward square-leg.
The Indian paceman nearly got a third wicket in his opening over of the second spell when he had Clarke caught by Sehwag at short mid-wicket. But it was declared a no-ball after on-field umpire Billy Bowden of New Zealand consulted TV umpire Sanjay Hazare.
Sharma did not have to wait long for his next success as he had Clarke caught behind for four runs in his next over. India were all out for 405 in their first innings on Sunday in reply to Australia's 428.
SCOREBOARD

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Australia 1st innings                  428

India 1st innings                      405

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Australia 2nd innings:

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S. Watson b Sharma                      56

S. Katich c Dhoni b Ojha                37

R. Ponting c Raina b Sharma              4

M. Clarke c Dhoni b Sharma               4

M. Hussey lbw b Harbhajan               28

M. North c sub (Pujara) b Harbhajan     10

T. Paine c sub (Pujara) b Ojha           9

M. Johnson c Dhoni b Zaheer              3

N. Hauritz b Zaheer                      9

B. Hilfenhaus b Zaheer                   6

D. Bollinger not out                     5

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Extras: (b12, lb4, nb5)                 21

Total: (for all out; 60.5 overs)       192

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Fall of wickets: 1-87, 2-91, 3-96, 4-138, 5-154, 6-165, 7-165, 8-170, 9-183, 10-192.
Bowling: Zaheer 11.5-1-43-3, Sharma 9-2-34-3 (nb5), Harbhajan 23-7-40-2, Ojha 17-1-59-2.

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India 2nd innings (target 216):

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G. Gambhir lbw b Hilfenhaus              0

V. Sehwag c Hussey b Hilfenhaus         17

R. Dravid c Paine b Bollinger           13

S. Tendulkar not out                    10

S. Raina c North b Hilfenhaus            0

Z. Khan not out                          5

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Extras: (b4, w6)                        10

Total: (for four wickets; 17 overs)     55

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