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Australia declares, sets India target of 299

BANGALORE, India -Fast bowlers Brett Lee and Stuart Clark took a wicket apiece as India's pursuit of a 299-run victory target got off to a bad start on the final day of the first cricket test against Australia.

India was 41 for two at lunch, needing a record fourth-innings total at Chinnaswamy Stadium to snatch victory against the top-ranked Australians.

Australia resumed the fifth day at 193-5 and added 35 runs in five overs before skipper Ricky Ponting declared the second innings at 228-6.

The Australians started aggressively, removing dangerous opener Virender Sehwag for 6 in the sixth over and Rahul Dravid 20 balls later for 5.

Sachin Tendulkar, who started the innings needing 64 to become test cricket's leading run-scorer, hit 10 runs off Mitchell Johnson in the penultimate over before lunch.

India went to the break with Tendulkar unbeaten on 16 and opener Gautam Gambhir 12 not out, and requiring another 258 runs to win from a minimum of 83 overs on a difficult pitch.

Ponting dived almost at full length to intercept Dravid's push to mid-wicket off Lee and leave India in early trouble at 2-24.

Sehwag had a reprieve when wicketkeeper Brad Haddin dropped his edge from Lee, but Matthew Hayden made up for the error in the next over. Hayden accepted a sharp catch low to the ground at first slip when Sehwag tried to turn Clark's delivery to the leg-side.

Australia opening the day aiming for quick runs in gloomy conditions and Haddin finished on 35 not out while rookie Cameron White was unbeaten on 18.

Shane Watson drove paceman Ishant Sharma's first delivery for a straight boundary, but was bowled next ball for 41 trying to hit to the leg-side.

Sharma returned figures of 3-40 while offspinner Harbhajan Singh had 2-76.

India captain and legspinner Anil Kumble, who has an injured right shoulder, hurt his left thumb while dropping a caught-and-bowled chance off Haddin on the first ball of the day.

Kumble finished the over after a short delay for treatment, but was unable to take a wicket in the match for only the third time in his 131-test career.

India's top order struggled in its first innings and fell to 232-7 before recovering to 360 in reply to Australia's opening 430.

India vs. Australia scoreboard

Matthew Hayden lbw Khan 13

Simon Katich c Laxman b Harbhajan 34

Ricky Ponting c Laxman b Sharma 17

Michael Hussey b Harbhajan 31

Michael Clarke c Sehwag b Sharma 6

Shane Watson b Sharma 41

Brad Haddin not out 35

Cameron White not out 18

Extras: (12b, 11lb, 4nb, 6w) 33

TOTAL: (for six wickets, declared) 228

Overs: 73. Batting time: 323 minutes.

Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-49, 3-99, 4-115, 5-128, 6-203.

Did not bat: Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Stuart Clark.

Bowling: Zaheer Khan 17-4-46-1 (2nb), Ishant Sharma 14-3-40-3 (6w), Harbhajan Singh 27-5-76-2, Virender Sehwag 7-1-12-0 (1nb), Anil Kumble 8-0-31-0 (1nb). India, 2nd Innings

Gautam Gambhir not out 12

Virender Sehwag c Hayden b Clark 6

Rahul Dravid c Ponting b Lee 5

Sachin Tendulkar not out 16

Extras: (1lb, 1nb) 2

TOTAL: (for two wickets) 41

Overs: 17. Batting time: 80.

Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-24.

Still to bat: V.V.S Laxman, Sourav Ganguly, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Anil Kumble, Ishant Sharma.

Bowling: Brett Lee 6-1-18-1 (1nb), Stuart Clark 7-3-11-1, Shane Watson 3-2-1-0, Mitchell Johnson 1-0-10-0.

Umpires: Asad Rauf, Pakistan, and Rudi Koertzen, South Africa.

TV Umpire: Amish Saheba, India. Match Referee: Chris Broad, England.

Toss: Won by Australia.