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The good news first. For the first time in the four-Test series, India has managed to stretch a match to the fifth day. Unfortunately, for India, that's where the good news ends as they are staring at another comprehensive defeat against Australia and their second consecutive whitewash in an away Test series.
Ryan Harris celebrates after dismissing Rahul Dravid in India's second innings. (Hamish Blair/Getty Images)
Australia declared their second innings at 167 for 5 - their second declaration of the match - to set India a massive target of 500 in 146 overs. The highest winning chase at the Adelaide Oval is Australia's 315 for six against England in 1902, and any faint hopes India had of surpassing that were dashed by yet another batting collapse as the tourists slumped to 166 for 6 at stumps on the fourth day in Adelaide today. Virat Kohli's run out with only one over left in the day captured India's nightmarish tour of Australia in a nutshell.
The declaration
R Ashwin not only dismissed Australia's opening batsmen just before stumps on the third day, but also shared the new ball with Zaheer Khan in the hosts' second innings. And, it was expected that Ashwin and Zaheer would start proceedings on the fourth day as well, but instead India's stand-in captain Virender Sehwag opted for the pace pair of the left-arm fast bowler and Ishant Sharma. Ashwin was brought into bowl only in the eighth over of the day.
Australia resumed on the overnight score of 50 for 3, and added 104 runs in the first session losing the wickets of captain Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey. Clarke (37) was aggressive in his approach at the start of the day hitting some well-timed boundaries and showing positive intent to declare at the earliest. But, Clarke's knock was cut short when umpire Kumar Dharmasena gave him out caught behind off the bowling of Umesh Yadav, even though the wicket-keeper and bowler only made a half-hearted appeal. Clarke was beaten for pace but wasn't happy with the decision, and he had reason to feel aggrieved as HotSpot showed nothing on the bat; even the Snicko didn't register anything when the ball passed the bat.
Dharmasena made another questionable decision just before lunch when he upheld Ishant Sharma's appeal for LBW against Hussey, who was hit near the knee roll in front of the off stump. Though replays indicated the ball would have just clipped the top of the off stump, it was a tough decision against Hussey.
Australia declared their second innings shortly after lunch with Ricky Ponting unbeaten on 60 and Brad Haddin 11*.
Opening woes continue
India has struggled to put together any meaningful partnership for the first wicket in this series, and the trend continued when Gautam Gambhir edged a Ryan Harris delivery pitched around the off stump to Brad Haddin behind the wickets in the fifth over of India's second innings. Gambhir made 181 runs in the series at an average of 22.62, and 83 of those runs were scored in the second innings at Sydney.
Sehwag's cameo
India's stand-in captain Virender Sehwag flirted with danger more often than not during his 53-ball 62, and he made his intentions crystal clear from the first delivery he faced when he had an almighty swing at a widish length ball from Ben Hilfenhaus and just managed to clear Hussey at gully. Sehwag then played another poor shot shortly afterwards off Harris but was lucky the ball just fell short of David Warner, who was stationed in one of the gullys. He then hit a couple of boundaries off Hilfenhaus' bowling, but was
fortunate to get away with those shots as he wasn't in control both times.
But, Sehwag also showed the reason he has earned the reputation of being a destructive batsman as he despatched Hilfenhaus, Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon to the fence with absolute disdain. He brought up his second half-century of the series by lofting Lyon over mid-off to get to the mark off only 36 deliveries.
There was also a stark contrast in the field placements for Sehwag and Rahul Dravid. When Sehwag was on strike, the field was spread out and fielders were stationed on the boundary, but the situation changed when Dravid took strike as the field closed in. This was a mini-battle won by Sehwag for the most part, and his counter-attack, however risky, caught out and frustrated the Australians for a while.
Sehwag though threw it away when he was caught by Ponting at short cover off a Lyon full toss, and the bowler himself couldn't believe his luck, as India went into Tea at 92 for 2.
Familiar story
Sachin Tendulkar walks off being dismissed by Nathan Lyon. (Morne de Klerk/Getty Images)India lost the wickets of Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Kohli in the last session to all but hasten the visitors' demise in the fourth Test. Dravid fell in the fifth over in the post-tea session as he played a poor shot as he attempted to play a drive, but only managed to get a thick edge which was pouched by Hussey at gully, with Harris being the successful bowler.
Lyon then got into the act as he dismissed Tendulkar, who had gone into a shell, and the eternal wait for his 100th international hundred will have to continue. Tendulkar gloved the ball to short leg where Ed Cowan took a simple catch to end the Indian legend's struggle in the middle.
Laxman did himself no favours as he again failed to put together a big knock and was out shortly before stumps to give Lyon his third wicket of the innings. It wasn't a wicket-taking delivery, but Laxman, who survived a loud LBW appeal from Siddle and was dropped by Ponting when on 25, hit it straight to Shaun Marsh at short midwicket. Laxman made 35 runs off 88 deliveries and added 52 runs for the fifth wicket with Kohli to give India the faintest of hopes of dragging the match late into the fifth day, but in the end it wasn't to be.
Kohli, who scored his maiden Test ton in the first innings, then ran himself out needlessly off the last ball of the penultimate over of the day when he took off for a risky run and despite a desperate dive failed to beat Hilfenhaus's direct hit from midwicket. And, that implosion and lack of thought on Kohli's part just about sums up India's abject surrender Down Under.
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