Kris Srikkanth, the chairman of the national selection panel, has backed Rahul Dravid to come out of his prolonged form slump. Dravid has only two half-centuries in his previous 17 knocks but Srikkanth said Dravid was "just one innings away from regaining form".

"If you look at this series (the Tests against Australia), he made a match-saving half-century in the first innings in Bangalore and looked good during his 39 in Mohali," Srikkanth told the Hindu. "It's unfortunate that he could not build on starts."

With the retirements of the experienced Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble, India are going through a transitional phase and Srikkanth was pleased with the performances of Amit Mishra and M Vijay, the two players handed their Test debuts during the series.

Mishra finished with 14 wickets in three Tests, and his seven wickets in Mohali was instrumental in India's win. "Mishra is a genuine legspinner who is not afraid to flight the ball," he said. "As he gains in experience, he will develop greater variety."

Vijay, who was drafted in as an opener after Gautam Gambhir was banned for the final Test in Nagpur, played a couple of confident knocks to provide India solid starts. "Vijay is a correct batsman who can adapt to both forms of the game. He adds value with his fielding."

India have moved into the second spot after the success against Australia and Srikkanth said the next target was to take over the No. 1 ranking.

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Adam Gilchrist has taken digs at Sourav Ganguly and Harbhajan Singh for their decision to opt out of the 2004 Nagpur Test against Australia, a match that gave the visitors their first series win in the country in 35 years. His comments are part of his autobiography where he also questioned the evidence given by Sachin Tendulkar in the Harbhajan racism case.

Ganguly, India's captain during the 2004 series, pulled out on the morning of the Test complaining of pain in the groin, while Harbhajan missed the game after contracting flu. Gilchrist, who was leading Australia in the series in place of the injured Ricky Ponting, wrote that there was speculation that Ganguly skipped the match because of the grassy pitch.

"There was speculation that Sourav Ganguly was quarrelling with the head of cricket in Nagpur and a rumour that a spicy pitch might be prepared out of spite or revenge against the captain," Gilchrist wrote in his book True Colours. "When I got to the middle, Ganguly was not there. [Rahul] Dravid was in his blazer, ready for the toss. 'Where's Sourav,' I said. "Rahul couldn't answer definitively; between the lines I perceived that Sourav might have pulled out from fear of losing a home series."

At the start of the third Test in Nagpur, Australia were leading the four-match series 1-0.

Of Harbhajan, Gilchrist wrote that he was out of the Test "with a 'flu', which he seemed to have contracted when he saw the grassy wicket". "...I still don't know to this day what was wrong with Ganguly and Harbhajan."

Gilchrist also slammed Harbhajan for his role in the Sydney Test for which he was charged on grounds of racial abuse against Andrew Symonds. Harbhajan was handed a three-match ban which was overturned on appeal.

"... I heard Harbhajan say to Ricky, 'Sorry, I apologise, it won't happen again'. The look on Harbhajan's face was telling. He looked like he was thinking, 'Oh, s**t. What have I done here? They're all over me'. ... Harbhajan had already apologised for doing it in India and promised not to do it again, but here he was, up to his old tricks. His promises meant little, and Ricky was reporting it to the match officials [during the second Test in Sydney]."

Harbhajan had hit back at Gilchrist's statements on Tendulkar, whose evidence in Sydney Gilchrist labelled a "joke", and said the former Australian wicketkeeper was not respected anyway because of his own on-field behaviour. The last two bi-lateral series between the two teams have been fractious and tense, with the off-field contests as bitterly fought as the on-field ones.

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Harbhajan Singh has reacted angrily to the comments by Adam Gilchrist in his autobiography that he and Sourav Ganguly missed the 2004 Nagpur Test against Australia because of their reluctance to play on a grassy pitch. "It's time somebody asked him to shut up," Harbhajan told the Kolkata-based Telegraph. "I suppose Gilchrist needs to get his head examined."

In his book True Colours Gilchrist questioned Harbhajan and Ganguly's decision to skip the Test that gave the visitors their first series win in the country in 35 years. Ganguly, India's captain during the 2004 series, pulled out on the morning of the Test complaining of pain in the groin, while Harbhajan missed the game after contracting flu.

Gilchrist wrote Harbhajan was out of the Test "with a 'flu', which he seemed to have contracted when he saw the grassy wicket". "...I still don't know to this day what was wrong with Ganguly and Harbhajan."

He also slammed Harbhajan for his role in the Sydney Test for which he was charged on grounds of racial abuse against Andrew Symonds. Harbhajan was handed a three-match ban which was overturned on appeal.

Harbhajan said Gilchrist should not be using fellow cricketers to sell his book. "I'm sure there are other ways to do that." Gilchrist also questioned the evidence given by Sachin Tendulkar in the racism case against Harbhajan, labeling it a "joke". Harbhajan had criticised him for his remarks on Tendulkar and said Gilchrist was himself not respected because of his on-field behaviour.

© Cricinfo

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Gautam Gambhir, the India opener, will appeal the one-Test ban imposed on him during the Delhi Test on Friday for not conducting play "within the spirit of the game as well as within the laws of cricket". Gambhir was involved in a verbal altercation with Shane Watson, the Australian bowler, and elbowed him in the process.

By Sunday, the ICC will name a Code of Conduct commissioner, who will hear the appeal within seven days of his appointment.

Gambhir, who pleaded guilty to the Level 2 offence, could miss the final game of the series against Australia in Nagpur from Thursday after match referee Chris Broad told him of the decision before the third day's play.

Broad delayed the verdict from Thursday's hearing while he considered the evidence for the charge.The in-form Gambhir, who scored 206 in India's 613 for 7 declared to follow his century in the second Test, had a series of verbal clashes with Watson during the middle session on day one. They had an argument in the 51st over of the first innings when Gambhir took his first run and the batsman caught Watson with his left elbow as he ran the second.

"The decision to find Gambhir guilty of a Level 2 offence is indicative of the fact that any degree of physical contact is unacceptable," Broad said. "Had Gambhir been charged with and found guilty of a charge under 2.4 [for deliberate or inappropriate physical contact], due to his previous offence, I would have been obliged to impose a minimum penalty of a two-test match ban. In the view of the umpires, the facts of this case - the lightness of the physical conduct and the element of provocation - would not justify such a penalty."

Broad took in to account Gambhir's previous fine for running into Pakistan's Shahid Afridi and said he hoped the batsman would learn from the incident. "It wasn't deliberate, it just happened," Gambhir said on Wednesday. "I didn't need to get into this argument with Shane Watson because he had no option of getting me out. There wasn't a need for me to stick my elbow out, it just happened."

Virender Sehwag, Gambhir's opening partner, said that the ban was harsh. "I have heard the news just now, so it is difficult to react," he said. "But Gambhir had pleaded guilty and it was natural that he would be punished. But I feel a match ban is too harsh, he could have done with a match-fee fine. It would have been good for us."

Watson was found to have been "verbally engaging with Gambhir in a manner that was not in keeping the spirit of cricket" and was fined 10% of his match fee. He pleaded not guilty to the Level 1 charge and has no right to appeal.

Gambhir was fined 65% of his match fee for his run-in with Afridi in 2007 while batting in an ODI in Kanpur. In that case, he was found guilty of a Level 2 charge of inappropriate and deliberate physical contact between players as well as a Level 1 charge of not conducting himself within the spirit of the game.

The current disciplinary measures follow Zaheer Khan being docked 80% of his match fee last week for his celebration when Matthew Hayden was dismissed in the second innings of India's 320-run win in the second test at Mohali. The tense series, which India currently leads 1-0, follows a fractious contest in Australia's 2-1 series win at home in 2007-08.

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Former Australia wicketkeeper Ian Healy is a sceptic when it comes to captaincy. He believes any suggestion it plays a significant role in achieving victory is purely self-promotion by the fraternity of skippers.

For the benefit of the court I'm displaying Exhibit A, a video of Australia's second innings at Bangalore. Specifically, the period in the game when Anil Kumble was off the field and stand-in captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni led a vibrant India, a team that looked far superior to the one that performed in pedestrian mode a few hours later when the appointed captain was back in charge.

For the true non-believers this is Exhibit B: a video of the second Test, when Dhoni had the captaincy all to himself and a rampant India won by the biggest run margin in their history. Your honour, I rest my case for Dhoni to be appointed captain of India, not just for limited-overs and Twenty20 matches but Tests as well.

Yes, that's right, a change of captain mid-series.

It's not such a dramatic move if you consider the original reason for choosing Kumble as captain of the Test side. He was the ideal person to fill in for a short period until Dhoni was ready to do the job and also to avoid burdening the young keeper-batsman with a tough tour of Australia as his opening gambit in the Test captain's job.

Anybody who watched the Mohali Test and still thinks Dhoni needs more grooming has attended too many dog shows. Dhoni is not only ready, his captaincy in Mohali was a major reason why India currently holds the psychological upper hand in this Test series.

If India doesn't make the permanent change to Dhoni, they risk handing Australia a get-out-of-jail card. Whether Australia is in the right frame of mind to put that card to full use in this series is another question, but why would India want to dig an escape tunnel and chance their opponents stumbling upon it?

The best way to beat a good team is to attack them and try to provoke mistakes. In Bangalore, Kumble played a waiting game and Australia prospered, while in Mohali, Dhoni went on the offensive from the moment he won the toss, which helped send his opponents crashing to defeat.

There's no doubt winning the toss made a huge difference, and having Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir set off aggressively also helped, but Dhoni did plenty to assist his own and the team's cause. Most importantly he created an atmosphere where the players enjoyed the contest. Sehwag was a classic example. He had a smile from start to finish, enjoying his team-mates' success and revelling in the fact that India was playing an aggressive brand of cricket. Dhoni is wise to involve his team in an exciting contest where victory is sought from the first ball, because it galvanises the better players in his team.

Zaheer Khan was like a man possessed, heavily involved in placing his field, and Sachin Tendulkar behaved like an exuberant 18-year-old when he took a vital catch in the second innings. However, the most conclusive evidence that Dhoni had created a winning atmosphere came from the opposing captain.

After the match Ricky Ponting said that India had outplayed his side from start to finish in all aspects, even fielding. An aging Indian side outfielding an athletic Australian side - the next thing you know, Dhoni will be turning water into wine.

Whether the Indian selectors choose Kumble as a bowler for the third Test is dependent on whether he's fit enough to perform near his best. If he is, then he returns to the team because he has been a warrior for India and has brought great credit to himself and his country.

It would be a blessing in disguise to relieve Kumble of the captaincy so he can just concentrate on bowling well and rounding out a wonderful career in a manner befitting a successful and classy cricketer.

It has been said that good captaincy is like pornography - it's hard to define but you know it when you see it. Usually when you do see it, a victory soon follows and after Dhoni's great performance at Mohali, it might be the right time to ask Healy if he still thinks good captaincy doesn't affect the result of a match.

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Two stoppages due to bad light after tea and a negative approach by the Indian batsmen helped the first Test against Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy end in a tame draw at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Monday.

Zaheer Khan won the man of the match award for his all-round performance. The pacer took six wickets and scored an unbeaten half-century.

A sporting declaration by Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting set the hosts to get 299 for victory but the hosts could manage only 177 for four off 73 overs.

VVS Laxman remained unbeaten on 42 off 142 balls with five fours while Sourav Ganguly was on 26 with two fours when the umpires called-off play and the Indians fell short by 122 runs from winning. For the visitors Brett Lee, Stuart Clark, Mitchell Johnson and Cameron White picked a wicket each.

Bad light stopped play 42 minutes after tea with India on 148 for four but the light improved and the umpires decided to resume the match with India needing 155 runs for victory off the last 25 overs. After nine overs were bowled, the light deteriorated again, and the umpires stopped play for the second time only to restart the match 22 minutes later with the hosts on 165 for four off 67 overs.

One expected Sachin Tendulkar to surpass Brian Lara's record Test aggregate of 11, 953 to become the highest scorer in Test cricket but that was not to be. Needing 15 more runs for the record, Tendulkar became Cameron White's first Test victim when his lofted drive was gobbled up in the short cover region by Michael Clarke for 49, which came off 126 balls including four boundaries. It was indeed a very soft dismissal considering that he was well set for a big score.

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Michael Clarke scored a patient 112, and was involved in two very significant partnerships today, adding 73 with Shane Watson for the fifth wicket, and a further 106 for the seventh with Cameron White, to enable Australia to comfortably avoid the follow-on and reach a sizable score of 577, just 36 shy of India.

Clarke used his feet superbly to the spinners and was not afraid to drive over the infield when it was safe. When the wearying bowlers erred, he looked for value, and a pulled six over midwicket when Mishra dropped short was a perfectly sensible stroke. But the majority of Clarke's runs were just that - run - as he coolly guided balls through gaps and pushed Australia past the follow-on mark and towards safety.

Clarke's century was made possible by some poor Indian fielding; he was dropped thrice on his way to his hundred. The first came in the fourth over of the morning when Clarke drove Amit Mishra airily towards mid-off. For a shorter man it might have been a tough chance; for Ishant it was a regulation opportunity and it slipped through the hands that reached only slightly above his head. Clarke was on 21 at the time. When he was in his 90's, Clarke top-edged an attempted sweep to midwicket, where the ball bounced out of VVS Laxman's hands like they were a trampoline. When Mishra grassed Clarke at deep midwicket in Sehwag's next over it was clear it was Clarke's day.

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Shane Watson is unique for an Australian cricketer: he doesn't drink or lift weights. Since injuring his hamstring for the umpteenth time during the World Twenty20 last year he has restructured his training and cut out alcohol in an effort to get the most out of his body.

So far it is working and he has contributed with bat and ball in the opening two Tests, which took his career tally to five games. "I'm off drinking while I'm playing and training to give myself every chance I possibly can to be right throughout this big workload," Watson said. "It's important to look after the body."

Only at the end of the Indian Premier League, when his Rajasthan Royals team won the competition, did Watson break his ban and have a couple of glasses of champagne. "I've saved money and a few headaches as well," he said, smiling. He still joins the celebrations but his new tipple is diet Pepsi or soda water.

Until the change in regime he was hurt a couple of times a season, but with the new approach he was able to string enough state and one-day international games together to prove to Australia's national selectors he was the man to replace Andrew Symonds. He picked up 3 for 45 and scored 41 in the first Test in Bangalore and added a fine 78 in the first innings in Mohali.

"To me it's not a sacrifice," he said. "The things I've been able to achieve over the past six months are not things I thought I could do 13 months ago."

He has been working with Brisbane health expert Victor Popov and now does pilates, running, cycling and swimming instead of lifting weights. His old programme had him training like a rugby league player.

"I haven't touched a weight for 13 months," he said. "The things I've been doing are pilates, hamstring strength, calf strength, which is just body weight stuff. I don't know the inside of a gym. Bowling is the thing I need to do, running and bowling. I feel my body shape is changing, it's a lot lighter, but I feel I haven't lost strength."

The old aches don't return so frequently, and if he notices any changes he can adjust quickly to limit the pain. "My inner core strength wasn't great and my pelvis was moving around quite a bit," he said. "When it's out of line, my hamstring gets tighter and so do my glutes.

"Also, because of the stress fractures early in my career, I've had nerve issues through my back into hamstrings and lower legs because of the healing I've had since I was a young kid. I have to make sure my nerves are not irritated, which is another piece of the puzzle.

"Other things are maintenance every day, making sure I'm warm, and swimming. It's quite a big puzzle to make sure everything is in alignment, but I love doing it. I've learned so much about my body. It's also exciting to know where I'm at. If something is slightly out I understand how to get it fixed or under control."

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Gautam Gambhir may still play the fourth and final Test in Nagpur after the International Cricket Council on Friday said that pending hearing into the opener's appeal against the one-Test ban, he could continue playing under Code of Conduct regulations.

Meanwhile, the ICC also confirmed having received an appeal from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) against the one-Test ban imposed on Gautam Gambhir for breaching the ICC's code of conduct during the ongoing third Test against Australia in New Delhi.

The ICC said in a statement that its Legal Counsel will appoint a Code of Conduct Commissioner within 48 hours and that the appeal will be heard within seven days of the Commissioner's appointment.

The final Test against Australia starts in Nagpur from November 6 and if a decision doesn't arrive by then, Gambhir would be eligible to play in that match.

The India opener pleaded guilty to the charge levied against him for elbowing Australian bowler Shane Watson while attempting a run on the first day of the third Test at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground and was handed a one-Test ban by match referee Chris Broad.

However, if the left-hander fails to overturn the match referee's verdict, he will have to bear the cost of the appeal.

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The third Test was fading out towards an inevitable draw at tea on the final day as VVS Laxman held India's middle order together with ease. Australia spent the first two sessions trying desperately to spark a collapse that would allow a run-chase but with India's lead stretched to 229 at the break - and with five wickets in hand - their goal had become unachievable.

There wasn't a great deal for Australia to celebrate in the second session although Cameron White certainly enjoyed picking up the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar for the second time in the series. White typically relies heavily on top-spinners and is not a major turner of the ball but he has now started to send down a few more legbreaks and it was one such delivery that did the job.

Tendulkar was well set and had 47 when he played a rather strange shot to a ball that pitched on line, slightly back of an ideal length and turned away. Tendulkar reached at the ball and simply guided it into the hands of Matthew Hayden at first slip; it was almost as if he had forgotten a slip was in place.

The breakthrough gave Australia a slight sparkle and they continued to attack with several close-in men and there remained a buzz among the fielders. But with India's lead already stretched to nearly 200 and with only five wickets down, the chances of an Australian victory were about as slim as the likelihood of John McCain becoming the next US president.

Tendulkar and Laxman had done what was required. By their exquisite standards the innings played by both men were sedate to say the least. But that was what India needed and it was what Tendulkar and Laxman provided in a 52-run partnership that ate up nearly 21 valuable overs.

Tendulkar played a couple of excellent back-foot drives for four off Brett Lee early in his innings and he gradually eased into an unhurried and unconcerned frame of mind. Laxman was watchful but still more than happy to play his shots, and the Delhi crowd was glad of that.

In what was effectively a short encore of his first-innings double-century, Laxman flicked deliveries through leg and crunched Michael Clarke's spin through the off-side for simple but well executed boundaries. He brought up his half-century with such a stroke - a four driven through cover when Clarke sent down a full toss.

The solidness of India's middle order meant only three wickets in two sessions for Australia and that was never going to be enough to force a result. The day had started reasonably and Lee struck in the eight over when his fast and full inswinger caught the inside edge of Rahul Dravid's bat and crashed onto the stumps.

India were 53 for 3 and Australia sensed an opportunity, but Gautam Gambhir and Tendulkar batted for time and put together a useful stand that brought 40 runs and lasted more than an hour. Another sniff came when a Mitchell Johnson inswinger had Gambhir lbw for 36, but the pitch at the Feroz Shah Kotla hadn't crumbled to dust over the five days and nor did India's line-up collapse.

It meant a final session that would be largely meaningless. It also meant the Border-Gavaskar Trophy would remain in Australia's hands until at least the final Test in Nagpur.

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Anil Kumble, India's Test captain, has announced his retirement from international cricket and will not play the last Test of the series against Australia in Nagpur. His announcement came during the fifth day's play in Delhi, the scene of his greatest bowling effort, at the end of which he was carried off the field by teammates in an emotional farewell.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni will now lead India in the Nagpur Test as they hold on to their 1-0 lead from Delhi.

In 132 Tests, Kumble took 619 wickets, the most among Indians and third on the all-time list. He also led the team in 14 Tests, but struggled with the ball in 2008, taking 28 wickets in ten Tests at an average of 50.57.

He was also plagued by injury concerns during the current series - picking up a shoulder injury in the first Test in Bangalore and injuring his finger in the third Test in Delhi - which ultimately sealed his decision to retire. "It's a tough decision when you have played 18 years of cricket and been so competitive. But my body helped make the decision and also, this [finger] injury," he said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

He captained India to three wins, with the 72-run victory at Perth against Australia in January undoubtedly one of the high points during his reign.

The legspinner was also the second player in history, after Jim Laker, to bag 10 wickets in an innings when he ran through Pakistan in the second innings at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi. A fitting farewell that his last match was also at the same venue.

In December 2001, in Bangalore, he became India's first spinner to take 300 Test wickets, and a year later, he became the first to do so in one-dayers. In August 2007, at The Oval he went past Glenn McGrath's 563 wickets and in January 2008 crossed the 600 mark, to stand behind only Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan, emphasising his contribution to spin's golden era. And at The Oval he scored his only Test century after 17 years and 118 matches.

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India 613 for 7 dec and 43 for 2 (Gambhir 21*, Dravid 5*) lead Australia 577 (Clarke 112, Sehwag 5-104) by 79 runs

	Michael Clarke posted his eighth Test century on a day that belonged to Australia © AFP

A fighting century from Michael Clarke gave Australia a strong chance of heading into the final Test with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy still theirs to defend as a draw appeared likely in Delhi. Clarke's 112, his eighth Test hundred, guided Australia to within 36 runs of India's enormous 613 and completed a valiant group response from a side that had been all but batted out of the game within two days.

India's second innings began poorly when an exhausted Virender Sehwag, who had bowled 40 overs and collected five wickets, played on to Brett Lee for 16. The loss of the night-watchman Ishant Sharma, who bunted a Stuart Clark bouncer to the close-in off-side fielder, meant Australia finished the day with the momentum as India closed at 43 for 2.

There were faint echoes of the Adelaide Test of 2006-07, when England went to stumps on the fourth day at 59 for 1, were bundled out by tea and watched Australia chase down 168. But if such echoes existed in Ricky Ponting's head they must have been drowned out by the repeated "I'm retired" messages that have come from the Adelaide game-turner Shane Warne.

And without Warne in Australia's armoury, it's hard to see how they can manufacture a final-day victory. India, with the very act of sending out a night-watchman when they had a 65-run lead and nine wickets in hand, gave a strong suggestion that they are in no hurry to set Australia a target.

And so ended a drifting sort of day - one that, unfortunately for India, saw the game drift out of their grasp. Or more specifically, out of Ishant's grasp. There are moments that change matches and it was easy to pinpoint the instant that it occurred on the fourth day at the Feroz Shah Kotla.

It came in the fourth over of the morning when Clarke drove Amit Mishra airily towards mid-off. For a shorter man it might have been a tough chance; for Ishant it was a regulation opportunity and it slipped through the hands that reached only slightly above his head. Clarke was on 21 at the time; he went on to add another 91.

Occasional wickets fell at the other end but, as Clarke became more resolute, Indian heads started to sink and minds began to wander. Mishra was below his best and lacked any real zip. Too often he dropped short and was duly dispatched and he also spent a while bowling around the wicket into the footmarks outside Clarke's leg-stump - a tactic that pleased Clarke, who simply kicked most of the balls away.

Ishant was also less than threatening on a day he would rather forget. He sprayed a few too many deliveries down leg side and then alternated to off side. Kumble toiled valiantly with 11 stitches in his left hand and was unlucky not to pick up a couple of tight lbw decisions but for the second day running Sehwag was by far the most dangerous bowler.

He collected Shane Watson and Cameron White and finished with his first five-wicket haul - not just in Test cricket but in 124 first-class appearances. And he could have had Clarke out in the 90s - twice. VVS Laxman's mind must have been on his 34th birthday celebrations when Clarke top-edged an attempted sweep to midwicket, where the ball bounced out of Laxman's hands like they were a trampoline. When Mishra grassed Clarke at deep midwicket in Sehwag's next over it was clear this was Clarke's day.

In fairness, he had done the hard work. It was a calm and measured innings from Clarke, whose maturity has lifted since he was handed the vice-captaincy. He reached his milestone from 219 deliveries with the final ball before tea, when he went back and cut Sehwag forward of point for two. He fell soon after the break for 112, when he lofted Mishra into the outfield as Australia tried to lift their rate, but his job was well and truly done.

Clarke used his feet superbly to the spinners and was not afraid to drive over the infield when it was safe. When the wearying bowlers erred, he looked for value, and a pulled six over midwicket when Mishra dropped short was a perfectly sensible stroke. But the majority of Clarke's runs were just that - run - as he coolly guided balls through gaps and pushed Australia past the follow-on mark and towards safety.

He had excellent support from White, who contributed 44 in a 106-run partnership and for the first time looked genuinely comfortable batting at Test level. That was not altogether unexpected; White averages more than 40 in first-class cricket and typically comes in at No. 5 for Victoria.

White watched the ball closely, picked wrong'uns and legbreaks and drove confidently when the spinners overpitched. There were brief moments of brutality and a lofted six over long-on off Kumble to bring up Australia's 500 was reminiscent of the White who has pillaged domestic attacks in the shorter formats.

Eventually White succumbed and under-edged an attempted sweep on to his stumps off Sehwag. But he had done his job. All of Australia's batsmen had done a job. The top five each passed fifty, Watson contributed 36 before he lost his leg stump to a Sehwag offbreak, and even Brad Haddin did enough in his 17 to help ease the danger of a lower-order collapse.

When Haddin was stumped he became Kumble's first Test wicket in nearly three months and almost 85 overs. There was a certain steeliness about Kumble, whose hand problem was so severe it needed 11 stitches. Had he dropped his head it would have been understandable but he didn't, and at times he was visibly annoyed with the lethargic fielding from his team-mates.

He returned to finish the Australians off with a courageous catch off his own bowling when Mitchell Johnson skied one between mid-on and mid-off. But despite Kumble's resilience, the match had all but slipped away. He can hope for a final-day miracle but in all likelihood he will have to wait for Nagpur next week to potentially get his hands on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

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Stuart Clark will be desperately aiming to prove his fitness in the next couple of days as he aims to avoid becoming the third Australian squad member sent home due to injury. Clark missed the second Test in Mohali due to an elbow problem and with four days until the third match in Delhi, he knows he must soon demonstrate he is over the niggle.

"I'm confident of getting through," Clark told the Weekend Australian. "But if I don't I think I'll be going home."

From their starting squad Australia have already farewelled Bryce McGain, who has had shoulder surgery, and Phil Jaques, who has had an operation on his back. The loss of Clark would be an enormous blow for an attack lacking experience but Tim Nielsen, the coach, said it was important not to play Clark unless he was 100% fit.

"The real test will be not only when he comes back and not only bowls flat out, but he bowls two spells or he fronts up two days in a row and sees how it has recovered," Nielsen told AAP. "These little niggly injuries that need some help are always a bit of concern because you have to give them time to rest."

Peter Siddle made his Test debut when Clark was deemed unfit for Mohali and the group has one more backup fast man, Doug Bollinger. Should Clark be sent home the selectors might be tempted to fly in Shaun Tait, whose express speed has been causing domestic batsmen trouble in the past couple of weeks, although Queensland's Ashley Noffke would be a less risky alternative.

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The state of Australia's bowling is shown through Mitchell Johnson being the leading wicket-taker with eight victims, double that of Brett Lee, Cameron White and Peter Siddle, in the opening two Tests. By the tourists' standards Johnson has been a revelation, but by a more traditional measure his overall contribution has been solid.

In the first Test in Bangalore he performed strongly before tailing off in Mohali when the bowlers were under heavy fire. He tried to operate in one-day mode when India were on the way to a lead of 515, but it didn't work and Australia eventually lost by 320 runs.

"I'm not feeling too bad, I was a little bit disappointed in the second innings," he said. "Other than that, I'm pretty happy with where things are at."

The mood is not shared by the bowling line-up as a whole, which has taken 27 wickets in the opening two matches. Lee has been below-par while the fresh men of Siddle, White and Shane Watson have performed to expectations. Stuart Clark, who has an elbow injury, will add some experience in Delhi from Wednesday if he can recover in time.

Australia's fast men have been behind Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma when it comes to reverse-swing and are exploring ways to catch up. Bowling cross seam is one possibility to achieve quicker deterioration of the ball, but not all the tourists are comfortable with the unconventional grip.

"I don't feel too bad with it," Johnson said. "Sometimes with my bowling technique and wrist position I don't need to bowl too many with a cross seam because I tend to hit the rough side anyway. That's something we've tried to do. I might be brought on to really roughen up one side."

Australia have been gaining reverse shortly before the new ball is due while India have managed it within the first 15 overs. Johnson believes variation is essential to breaking up the rhythm of India's batsmen and he has been particularly successful with a slower off-cutter. His main victim with the ball in the first Test was Sachin Tendulkar, who pushed the delivery to cover.

"Variety is key over here, definitely on the wickets we play on," he said. "There's not much in it for the quicks, so you need the off-cutters and the slower balls and changes of pace. Also, short balls can come into it a bit, especially if the wickets are staying a bit low."

Johnson showed a glimpse into the current Australian mindset when he said "a lot of the guys - most of the guys - are confident" when discussing the team's prospects of overcoming the 1-0 deficit. "We can put a lot of pressure on the Indians," he said. "They're going to feel it, going 1-0 up. All the pressure is on them now. There is disappointment in losing, but we'll get back on track."

Johnson had a run-in with Harbhajan Singh during the final day of the second Test, but unlike in the 2007-08 series, there has been no lingering resentment from a handful of minor issues. "I thought I was going to get run out so I basically put my head down and ran straight and ended up running into him," Johnson said. "Harbhajan said: why did you push me?

"I apologised. It was an accident. I basically ran my line and he was in my line. It was all over and done with out there."

all courtesy to: cricinfo

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While the stadium itself has retained none of the charm of the old world, the surroundings suggest you have entered a town of forts. Once you have entered the Feroz Shah Kotla - and it's mighty tough given the security - just look up and you'll find a policeman at most of the high points, overlooking the movements outside the stadium, almost like the guards in a fortress. They may as well be protecting India's lead in the series, welcome to the Fortress Feroz Shah.

Leading 1-0, India couldn't have come to a better venue - Kotla itself means a citadel - to try and kill the series: they have won the last seven Tests played here. India's build-up going into the third Test is in stark contrast to the one going into Mohali, where they won comprehensively. In Mohali, India were not sure of the final XI till about half an hour before the start; here they are almost sure - two days before the match - that Anil Kumble will replace Amit Mishra, who took a five-for on debut.

If Kotla is the fortress, Kumble has been its king. He has taken 55 wickets in six Tests here, at an average of 15.41. After having missed the Mohali Test, he seems to have recovered from the shoulder injury, and has been bowling in the nets. "He is looking good," Gary Kirsten, India's coach, said. "We are very happy with the way he is progressing. And if he is fit, he is the captain of the team, and he will take Mishra's place."

Harbhajan Singh's fitness comes into question because of a toe injury he had picked towards the end of the Mohali Test. Yesterday he bowled less than an over in the nets. Today he did the fielding drills, bowled about three overs, and also batted. "We will just wait and see. We have got two days to go, but hopefully it's not too serious," Kirsten said of the injury.

If Harbhajan and Kumble are both fit, Mishra will have to go back to what he has done for the last eight years: wait his turn. It may sound harsh, but that's what mostly happens to the replacement when the captain is back to full fitness. Kirsten was very clear about that, and also ruled out playing three spinners. "That's one good option you have [dropping a batsman to accommodate all the spinners]," Kirsten said, "But I certainly want to be going into a Test match with six batsmen."

And dropping one of the fast bowlers is not a question at all, given the form Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma have been in.

Apart from that aspect of team composition, Kirsten spoke of the confidence India's win in Mohali gave them. "It was a great Test-match win, certainly a benchmark Test, in terms of dominating play," Kirsten said. "It's a new day, a new game, but we will certainly use that Test as a benchmark for what we want to achieve."

While the player behaviour has come under the scanner once again in an India-Australia series, Kirsten said it was natural when two such competitive sides played. "[These are] two very competitive, emotional and aggressive teams. I think there will always be occasions in pressure situation when either team might overstep the mark a little bit.

"Zaheer, in the match referee meeting [when he was fined 80% of his match fee for having given Matthew Hayden a send-off], admitted that he had crossed the line, but these things happen. These are two teams playing a high level of cricket, that creates great excitement for Test cricket in the world. We must encourage that competitiveness; we understand that individuals mustn't overstep the mark."

all courtesy to: cricinfo

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Ricky Ponting has asked his senior men for a greater impact in Delhi when Australia attempt to fight back from a 1-0 series deficit in Wednesday's third Test. The elder statesmen, particularly Matthew Hayden and Brett Lee, have been quiet overall during the opening two games and are desperate to show their worth against a committed India.

Michael Clarke, the vice-captain, is one of those who want to lift after the start of his campaign peaked with his first half-century of the series in the second innings at Mohali. In the four years since making his debut in India, Clarke has grown into a mature figure and will also look to help the team's large group of inexperienced players through the final two games of the series.

"Ricky spoke to us about a little more responsibility going on the senior guys," Clarke said. "It's hard enough playing in India for the first time and for the first couple of Tests, so it's important the extra expectation gets put on the captain, vice-captain and senior players. Hayden, Lee, Clark, Hussey, it's up to us guys to really stand up, with bat or ball.

"I'm certainly going to take a little bit more responsibility in my own performances. It's crucial for us to win in Delhi, and important for the senior guys to stand up."

Stuart Clark's elbow will continue to be monitored in the lead-up to the match, but he has bowled strongly in training and will come into the side if fit. The Australians will also keep a close eye on the pitch, which had a slight covering of grass on Sunday, but is expected to turn heavily late in the match.

One of the issues discussed when the Australians returned from a short break this week was the importance of not thinking about the glut of engagements they have over the next two years. The India series is the start of a run that won't settle down until well into 2010.

"What did come out was we weren't going to look backwards or too far forward," Clarke said of the meeting. "There's been a lot of talk about how much cricket we have coming up over the next 12 to 15 months and it's important to look at what we have right now."

Clarke admitted he had been guilty of gazing too far ahead, but it wasn't because he was concerned about too much cricket on the horizon. "It's excitement over who we're playing," he said. "We've got some really tough cricket. India in India is a good start, then a big Australian summer, South Africa in South Africa, then the Ashes, which is something you always look forward to."

Since taking over the vice-captaincy from Adam Gilchrist - his first appointment was in the West Indies - Clarke has scored 277 runs at 39.57 in four Tests, including 110 on his return to the side in the Caribbean following the death of his fiancée's father. The figures are slightly down on his career average of 45.50 in 37 games.

"Personally I don't feel it [the vice-captaincy] has had too much of an impact on my individual performances," he said. "My stats since being vice-captain probably aren't the greatest, but I feel as comfortable as I ever have."

Clarke has talked to Ponting, Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh and Shane Warne about how to marry the leadership duties with maintaining high batting standards. "They're the guys who have helped me a lot and they've explained there are extra responsibilities, being captain or vice-captain of your country, but you should enjoy those," he said. "I knew that when I took on the job."

all courtesy to: cricinfo

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Sachin Tendulkar has said the senior players in the Indian team must be respected for the "major contributions" they have made over the years. Tendulkar, who recently became the leading Test run-scorer, said the decision on retiring from international cricket should be made by the players, whom he felt will know when the time is right.

The seniors - Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and Anil Kumble - were under intense scrutiny by the media after poor performances in the 2-1 defeat in the Test series in Sri Lanka. Ganguly, who was not picked for the Irani Trophy, announced the Tests against Australia will be his last international appearance for India.

"Lack of respect towards senior players doesn't happen anywhere," Tendulkar told the news channel NDTV. "We all know when to move away from the sport. But people have their opinions. Sometimes these opinions are not correct. But one is made to believe that this is the right opinion. The individuals will take their decisions when they feel it's the right time."

Tendulkar said he was "surprised by Sourav's [Ganguly's] decision to quit". "I am sure it must have taken him a long time to reach there. And it's a big decision. But if he feels that it is the way to go, then we all should respect his decision."

Tendulkar and Laxman played crucial innings to save the first Test against Australia in Bangalore. Tendulkar then became the highest run-scorer in Test cricket during his 88 in the second Test in Mohali, while Ganguly went past 7000 Test runs during his 16th Test century in the same match, which India won by 320 runs.

all courtesy:cricinfo

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 VVS Laxman has built an entire career pummeling Australia. So it's improbable that India are playing Australia in a Test series and VVS Laxman is not in the honours board.

Laxman sped to his 13th Test hundred and his sixth against Australia as India continued their domination in the game to reach 293-3 at lunch at the Ferozeshah Kotla. Gambhir, whose knock until the first day bore all signs of an epic in the making, was poised for a double hundred (191), and their 236-run partnership having reached threatening proportions already.

These aren't good signs for Ricky Ponting, who would have relied on early breakthroughs, as his bowlers leaked 97 runs in the morning session and missed a chance in an innings which can only falter because of mistakes from the batsmen. Matthew Hayden was late to react to a rare edge off Gambhir, who was on 176 at the time.

Laxman's calm can be judged by the strokes his plays. He went unnoticed to his fifty as Gambhir soaked in all the adulation with his second century on the trot on the first day, but the first session of the second day belonged to the classy of the Hyderabadi.

India had a quiet start to the second day but picked as Laxman took charge of the proceedings, despite a fortuitous escape when Brett Lee had him fending a bouncer awkwardly which went over the slip cordon.

There was no fortune thereafter, as Laxman drove, flicked and pulled with contempt en route to his century. But as the session reached its close, Laxman had some anxious moments on 99 where he spent 11 balls before caressing Cameron White through cover.

After two quiet Test matches in Bangalore (he did play a match-saving hand) and Mohali, Laxman, as has been the case so often in his illustrious career, came to Delhi with a sword hanging over his selection yet again, as India's want of a fifth bowler surfaced.

all courtesy:cricketnext

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Gautam Gambhir and Shane Watson have been charged with "spirit of the game" offences after the two were involved in an altercation on day one of the third Test in Delhi. Chris Broad, the match referee, charged Gambhir with Level 2 offence for not conducting play "within the spirit of the game as well as within the laws of cricket". Watson will answer a Level 1 charge under the same section.

Gambhir claimed the clash, which occurred in the 51st over of India's first innings, when he pushed his elbow into Watson's chest was accidental, but he could face a ban of one Test if found guilty at the hearing after play on Thursday.

Gambhir, who has hit consecutive centuries against Australia, had a series of verbal clashes with Watson during the middle session on day one and then ran into him when trying for a second run. "It wasn't deliberate, it just happened," Gambhir said at the end of the first day. "I didn't need to get into this argument with Shane Watson because he had no option of getting me out. There wasn't a need for me to stick my elbow out, it just happened."

Level 2 penalties range from a fine of between 50 and 100% of a match fee and/or a ban of one Test. If Watson, who is playing his sixth Test, is found guilty he could receive an official reprimand and/or a 50% fine.

The umpires Billy Bowden and Aleem Dar laid the charges against the players along with the TV official Suresh Shastri.

After tea Gambhir also argued with part-time spinner Simon Katich and the pair was separated by Bowden. No action will be taken over those exchanges.

Gambhir was fined 65% of his match fee for a similar incident in 2007 when he barged in to Pakistan bowler Shahid Afridi while batting in a one-day match in Kanpur. He was found guilty of a Level 2 charge of inappropriate and deliberate physical contact between players and was also ruled to have breached a Level 1 condition of not conducting play with the spirit of the game.

Zaheer Khan was docked 80% of his match fee in the second Test for his celebration when Matthew Hayden was dismissed in the second innings in Mohali. The tense series, which India leads 1-0, follows a fractious contest in Australia in 2007-08.

All courtesy: cricinfo

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Cheeky captain
Was it a surprise that Anil Kumble won the toss? No, because he had had a practice run before the actual toss happened. Immediately after he got the coin from Chris Broad, the match referee, Kumble flipped it only to realise mid-flight that they were not on air as yet. So Kumble caught the coin before it could land. Shrewdly he must have studied the coin's behaviour pattern, and flipped it the next time in a way that it landed in India's favour, and that too way off the pitch where the toss happened. Welcome back, captain.

Home ground blues
A century in front of his home crowd has eluded Virender Sehwag. In his only Test at the Kotla - he was out of the side when India played Pakistan here last year - he scored 74 against Zimbabwe in 2002. Even in the three ODIs he has played here, he has managed a best of 42 against England in 2002. Today, as a result of frozen feet, he made sure he will have to wait longer to get a century on his home ground. The second ball he faced was a fast in-swinger from Brett Lee, Sehwag's feet stayed rooted, and he played outside the line of the ball. Umpire Aleem Dar had no hesitation in sending Sehwag off. Gambhir, though, who scored 2 and 3 in his first match here - against Sri Lanka in 2005-06, brought up his hundred after tea.

The upper-cut from hell
Lee, who has had an ordinary series so far, built up consistent pace today. In the first over after lunch, he dug one in short. Sachin Tendulkar, well entrenched by then, waited for it to rise, arched his back a bit to make room, and guided it over slip. The shot was delicate and breathtaking at the same time. Lee's pace almost carried it for a six.

Man of his word
"If we are behind by five overs or so, yes I won't be giving Brett a bowl," Ricky Ponting said at his pre-match conference. And so it happened. By drinks in the middle session, Australia had managed only 40 overs, behind by - yes - five overs. And there Ponting proved he would keep his word: he didn't bowl Lee until the 62nd over. The corrective measure, though, didn't prove too fruitful for Australia. From the moment Cameron White came on, Gambhir and Tendulkar ripped into him. The first ball he bowled was cut away towards point boundary, the third one was driven to extra-cover boundary. In the four overs he bowled, he visited the boundary often enough to negate his quick over-rate. In the end, by 4.30pm, the scheduled close of play, Australia had managed only 81 overs.

How to get to 100
Gambhir has played a lot of cricket with Sehwag, and some of it seems to have rubbed on. At 99, when Gambhir tried to steer Watson to the thirdman boundary, Michael Hussey made a diving save to keep Gambhir on 99. But to the next ball, the batsman stepped out, and lofted Watson over wide long-on for a six. Sehwag would have approved. At any rate, the six would have worked better than the elbow earlier during the day.

How not to use the elbow
In the 51st over of the innings, Gambhir flicked Shane Watson to midwicket, and the bowler was not impressed. As Gambhir ran down for the first run, he saw a gesticulating Watson who also had something to tell him. And on his way back, for the second, Gambhir had his way back, thursting his elbow into Watson's ribs. Time for the match referee to ask for a bonus: he had to handle mischievous captains at toss, slow over rates, and now quarrelling children.

How not to appeal
Brad Haddin was the most desperate man at the Kotla today. Twice he almost went up in appeals when the batsmen had leg-glanced off the face of the bat. The heights of desperation, though, were reached when Lee appealed for an lbw against Gambhir. Umpire Billy Bowden shook his head in a "no", but the ball had lobbed to Michael Hussey at wide third slip. Off went the lbw appeal, and one for a catch started, Haddin looking at the umpire and his left hand pointing towards Hussey. So much for perseverance.

All courtesy :crickinfo

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