Harbhajan and Zaheer save India the blushes

Sutram Suresh

Bangalore, Oct 11 (PTI) India found unlikely batting
heroes in tailenders Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan who
launched a stunning late-order fightback and ease Australia's
stranglehold in the first cricket Test here Saturday.

Responding to Australia's first innings total of 430,
the hosts were gasping at a precarious 232 for seven before
Harbhajan (54) and Zaheer (batting 35) saved them the blushes
with a dramatic counter attack to take the score to a much
healthier 313 for eight at close on an eventful third day.

While most of the star batsmen fell cheaply on the
dual-paced track at the Chinnaswamy stadium, the combative
Harbhajan unleashed a barrage of strokes to notch up his fifth
Test half century and give India a glimmer of hope to not only
save the match but push for a victory.

Harbhajan and Zaheer Khan put on a vital 80-run
parnership for the eighth wicket to narrow down the lead and
frustrate the Australians who seemed to be firmly in control
of the proceedings at one stage.

The Indians are still trailing Australia by 117 runs and
their immediate task would be to reduce the margin as much as
possible since they have to bat last on a track which was
expected to deteriorate.

With two days left, the Test match appears to be heading
for a thrilling finish with both teams fancing their
chances.

Harbhajan, who managed to take just one wicket in
Australia's first innings, made amends with the bat and fell
to Watson at the fag end of the day, a knock which contained
five boundaries and came off 110 balls.

Rahul Dravid (51) and Sourav Ganguly (47), playing in his
last Test series, came up with stubborn contributions after
Mitchell Johnson had ripped through the top order in a hostile
morning spell by accounting for Virender Sehwag (45) Sachin
Tendulkar (13) and VVS Laxman (0).

Had it not been for the astonishing rear guard action,
the Indian innings could have folded much earlier.

Johnson shattered the Indian hopes of capitalising on a
solid start by claiming three wickets in the first hour's
play.

But it was paceman Brett Lee who drew the first blood
when he trapped the left-handed Gautam Gambhir (21), who could
add just one run to his overnight score.

Lee struck in his very second ball of the day and in the
second over of the morning, trapping Gambhir leg before with a
quick, good length delivery which swung from just outside
off-stump.

Johnson then took the centre stage as he dealt three
quick blows with the Indians almost gifting their wickets.

Indian batsmen capitulated to Australian fast bowlers,
took lunch at 133 for four to put the visitors on top.

Indian top order batsmen failed to negotiate the
Australian fast bowlers on a double-paced wicket which will
deteriorate further as the match progresses.

Sehwag stood rooted to the crease as he offered an outer
edge to Hayden at first slip, Tendulkar chipped the ball to
Cameron White at short cover while Laxman tentatively poked at
a good length ball pitched on the off and seaming away to give
wicketkeeper Brad Haddin simplest of catches.

Rahul Dravid compiled a fighting fifty before returning
back to the pavilion. However, he was not pleased with the leg
before decision given without any hesitation by Pakistan
umpire Asad Rauf.

A Watson delivery swung in sharply and trapped Dravid
though the disappointed batsman thought it had got an inside
edge.

Dravid took 104 balls for his knock and helped himself
with seven boundaries.

Dhoni (9) joined the Bengal batsman after the fall of
Dravid and the duo added 40 runs for the sixth wicket.

The one-day skipper however disappointed as he was
stunned by a quick Michael Clarke delivery, which uprooted his
off-stump.

Sourav and Harbhajan continued the rescue act until the
tea break with the latter scoring a couple of boundaries much
to the delight of weekend crowd.