Indian hopes quashed by McGrath's big haul

CRICKET/Third Test: Australian bowlers, led by Glenn McGrath's four-wicket haul, quashed Indian hopes of a fightback to tighten their grip in the first Test yesterday.

Fast bowlers McGrath and Jason Gillespie ran through the tail with the new ball to dismiss India for 246 to take a big first-innings lead after amassing 474 all-out batting first.

Australia then opted against the follow-on, reaching 127 for four wickets in their second innings at the close to extend the overall lead to 355 runs.

Michael Clarke (11) and Damien Martyn (29) were together after openers Justin Langer (0), Matthew Hayden (30), Simon Katich (39) and Darren Lehmann (14) were out.

Australia are favourites to push for victory today by building their lead further to bring pressure on the host batsmen, who will bat last on a breaking pitch.

Australia lost regular wickets in their second innings. Left-hander Langer was trapped lbw by Irfan Pathan playing half forward for a fourth-ball duck before Hayden was run out by Harbhajan Singh from square-leg going for a quick single.

Katich edged a drive against Kumble to slip fielder Rahul Dravid for 39 before Darren Lehmann gloved a catch to silly mid-off against Harbhajan Singh.

India added another 96 runs before being dismissed half-an-hour before tea.Wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel (46) and tail-ender Irfan Pathan (31) clung on to add 60 runs for the seventh wicket to prevent a total collapse, and their last four wickets added 110 runs.

But the fightback subsided once the new ball was taken.

Gillespie bowled Patel middle-stump with his first delivery with the new ball and then pegged back Anil Kumble's off-stump after he made 26 to wrap up the innings. Shane Warne gave Australia the breakthrough by having Pathan caught behind to reduce India to 196 for seven at lunch.

AUSTRALIA - First Innings 474 (M Clarke 151, A Gilchrist 104, H.Singh 5-146)

INDIA FIRST INNINGS

(overnight 150-6)

A Chopra lbw b McGrath 0

V Sehwag c Langer b Kasprowicz 39

R Dravid b McGrath 0

S Ganguly c Gilchrist b Kasprowicz 45

V Laxman b Warne 31

Y Singh c Gilchrist b McGrath 5

P Patel b Gillespie 46

I Pathan c Gilchrist b Warne 31

A Kumble b Gillespie 26

H Singh c Lehmann b McGrath 8

Z Khan not out 0

Extras (b-5 lb-2 nb-3 w-5) 15

Total (all out, 89.2 overs) ... 246

Fall of wickets: 0-1 2-4 3-87 4-98 5-124 6-136 7-196 8-227 9-244

Bowling: McGrath 25-8-55-4 (nb-1), Gillespie 16.2-3-63-2 (w-5), Warne 28-4-78-2, Kasprowicz 20-4-43-2 (nb-2)

AUSTRALIA SECOND INNINGS

J Langer lbw b Pathan 0

M Hayden run out 30

S Katich c Dravid b Kumble 39

D Martyn not out 29

D Lehmann c Chopra b Harbhajan 14

M Clarke not out 11 Extras (b-2 nb-1 w-1) 4

Total (four wickets, 42 overs) ... 127

To bat: A Gilchrist, S Warne, J Gillespie, M Kasprowicz, G McGrath

Fall of wickets: 1-0 2-65 3-86 4-104

Bowling (to date): Pathan 9-2-29-1 (w-1), Zaheer 7-1-27-0, Harbhajan 15-2-43-1, Kumble 11-2-26-1 (nb-1).