India will resume on Thursday’s third day of the fourth Test against Australia in a desperate position at 2-61 in reply to the home side’s first innings of 7-604.
Australia captain Michael Clarke (210), who shared a record partnership of 386 with Ricky Ponting (221), has warned his bowlers they need to stay disciplined on such a good batting wicket.
India, who trail three-nil in the four-match series, require another 343 to make Australia bat again.
Australia had been 2-31 and 3-84 before Clarke and Ponting took command, but a similar middle-order fightback from India would be a massive turnaround from the side’s batting collapses earlier in the series.
However Clarke remains cautious.
“Hopefully we’ll see some deterioration especially in the back half of day four and day five,” he said of the Adelaide Oval pitch.
“(On Thursday) it’s going to be pretty nice to bat on.
“A couple of balls stayed a little bit low.
“But it’s as good a batting wicket as you’re going to get.
“The bowlers are going to have to bowl well and we’re going to have to hang on to every chance in the field.”
Clarke said there was hardly any turn for the spinners.
India’s Ravi Ashwin took 3-194 from 53 overs for India.
“That wicket’s as flat as we’ve seen throughout the series so we’re going to have to be even more disciplined to take 20 wickets on that wicket,” Clarke said.
Sachin Tendulkar is 12 not out and opener Gautam Gambhir is on 30.
Captain Virender Sehwag was dropped at mid-wicket on five but soon fell caught and bowled by Peter Siddle after hitting 18 off 18 deliveries including three fours.
Veteran No.3 Rahul Dravid, 39, was bowled by Ben Hilfenhaus for one.
It was the sixth time “The Wall” had been dismissed bowled in seven innings in the series.
Fast bowler Ishant Sharma (0-100) said India were motivated by their four-wicket win in Adelaide eight summers ago.
“In 2003/04 they scored 556 runs and then we won the game from there so I think there is a positive that we can take out from that,” he said.
The 386-run partnership in 380 minutes between Clarke and Ponting is the fourth-highest by an Australian pair for any wicket.
It’s also a new mark for Australians against India for any wicket.
