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Australia declare to leave India chasing 500

Australia declared their second innings at 167 for five three overs after lunch on the fourth day of the fourth test on Friday, leaving India with five sessions to reach an unlikely victory target of 500.

Nothing the Indians have done so far in the series would suggest they can overhaul that tally, especially given the test record for a successful fourth innings run chase is the 418 West Indies scored against Australia in Antigua in 2003.

Chasing a 4-0 series sweep, Australia had Ricky Ponting on 60 not out and Brad Haddin, unbeaten on 11, at the crease when captain Michael Clarke waved them in from the dressing room window just 11 minutes after lunch.

Resuming in the morning on 50 for three after losing their top order in the last hour on Friday, Clarke and Ponting, who both contributed double centuries to Australia’s first innings 604 for seven declared, combined for 71 runs before being separated.

Australia skipper Clarke survived a scare on 30 when spinner Ravi Ashwin could have had him caught and bowled before Umesh Yadav brought an end to his highly successful series as a batsman for 37.

The young quick beat Clarke for pace and there was enough of a noise to convince umpire Kumar Dharmasena that the Australian had got a nick before the ball went through to wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha.

Ponting also gave the Indians a chance when he was on 45 with a miscued pull shot off a Yadav bouncer that Rahul Dravid, running at full stretch, could not quite hold.

The 37-year-old Tasmanian reached his 61^st test half century soon afterwards with a single to the covers to continue his renaissance in this series after two years of poor form.

Mike Hussey made 15 in 42 minutes before angrily following his captain back to the dressing room when he was adjudged trapped leg before by paceman Ishant Sharma.

India, who topped the world rankings last year, were bowled out for 272 in their first innings on Thursday and will need a much stronger performance from their world class batsmen to avoid an eighth successive defeat in overseas tests.