Melbourne: Despite losing Sachin Tendulkar - who was looking good for his 100th international century - in what turned out to be the last over of the day, India finished the second day of the Boxing Day Test on a high, posting 214 for 3.
Tendulkar (73) shared a 117-run stand with Rahul Dravid, who remained unbeaten on 68 with nightwatchman Ishant Sharma (0), after India lost Virender Sehwag (67) with the score at 98.
Earlier, Zaheer Khan got India off to a rousing start, taking the wickets of both the overnight batsmen Brad Haddin (27) and Peter Siddle (41). The left-arm seamer's effort of bowling his traditional inswingers paid off when he got the thick part of Haddin's bat, which was taken cleanly by Sehwag at a deepish gully. He followed it up with one that seamed away after pitching, taking a healthy edge from Siddle's bat before nestling into the hands of MS Dhoni.
R Ashwin cleaned up the Aussie tail when Ben Hilfenhaus' mistimed heave went straight to Virat Kohli and No. 11 Nathan Lyon was bowled around his legs. James Pattinson showed good technique for a lower order batsman and remained not out on 18 as Australia were dismissed for 333.
In reply, Sehwag, as usual, gave the Indian fans some anxious moments by playing a mistimed lofty shot over mid-off on the very first delivery he faced and slashing hard outside his off stump on numerous occasions. Gautam Gambhir (3) perished straight after lunch. After fidgeting outside his off stump on numerous occasions, the left-hander finally nicked one back to Haddin. The dismissal took place after a heated exchange between Sehwag and Pattinson, who elbowed the opener when he was completing a single.
In the meantime, Sehwag played some exquisite strokes outside the off stump and got to his half-century by carting Lyon for a boundary to the long-on region. In the process, the dashing opener also became only the fifth Indian batsman to reach the landmark of 8,000 runs in Test cricket.
But his innings was cut short just before the tea interval by an inspired bowling spell by Pattinson, who made Sehwag hop on occasions before cleaning him up. Sehwag departed after scoring 67 off 83 balls as the visitors reached tea at 99 for 2, with Dravid and Tendulkar at the crease.
Tendulkar, who was a little jittery just before the break, was at his best after it. The maestro got going with a late upper cut for a maximum on the first ball after tea. He attempted the same shot, which went for four, a little later. Dravid, despite looking edgy, was grinding his way out.
The seasoned campaigners reached their respective millstones in contrasting fashion. While Dravid got it with a streaky four behind the wickets, Tendulkar nudged a single to long-on by walking down the track to Lyon. It was Dravid's 62nd half-century, placing him just two behind Tendulkar.
Drama unfolded at the MCG when Siddle bowled Dravid on 65 off a no-ball. Dravid survived when the umpires checked where the bowler landed and the big screen showed it over. But the Victorian fast bowler made up for it by getting Tendulkar for 73, cleaned up with a delivery that seamed in after pitching on a good length area. India sent Ishant in as a nightwatchman, and he survived the remaining deliveries of Siddle's over after which the umpires took off the bails two overs before the scheduled close of play.
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