Ind vs Aus: India 92/2 at tea on Day 4, trail by 407 runs

Chasing a massive 500-run target, India lost Virender Sehwag (62) and Gautam Gambhir (3) in the post-lunch session on Day 4 of the fourth and final Test in Adelaide on today.

Rahul Dravid (19) and Sachin Tendulkar (7) took India to 92/2 at tea as India need 408 runs more to win the match in next four sessions.

Spinner Nathan Lyon took the prize-wicket of dangerous Sehwag to give the hosts a crucial breakthough.

Sehwag led the run chase for India with his typical 62 runs off just 53 balls as he raced to fifty in 36 deliveries. He hit twelve boundaries in his rapid knock before throwing his wicket to a mistimed shot resulting to an easy catch for Ricky Ponting at cover.

Sehwag added 66 runs for the second wicket with veteran Rahul Dravid as they tried to resurrect the Indian run chase after losing Gautam Gambhir (3) early.

India started poorly as they lost opener Gambhir inside five overs. Pacer Ryan Harris struck early in 4.3 overs to dismiss Gambhir cheaply and reduce India to 14/1.

Earlier, Australia declared their second innings soon after the play resume in the post-lunch session and set 500 runs target for India with less than five sessions left in the match.

Ricky Ponting (60) and Brad Haddin (11) took Australia's overall lead to 499 runs when skipper Michael Clarke declare their innings close. Australia scored 167/5 in 46 overs in their second innings of the match after they declared their first essay at 604/7 on Day 2.

Australia lost Clarke (37) and Michael Hussey (15) in quick succession in the morning session of the fourth day of the fourth Test on Friday.

The hosts were 154/5 at lunch in their second innings with an overall lead of 486 runs with Ponting and Haddin at the crease.

Ishant Sharma trapped Hussey to give India second breakthrough. Umpire Dharmasena took his time before giving Hussey, who wasn't happy with the decision, marching orders. Australia lost their fifth wicket at the score of 147.

Ricky Ponting, who added 71 runs for the fourth wicket with Michael Clarke, hit another fine half-century to take Australia's overall lead past 475-run mark. Ponting's 50 came off in 73 balls and included four boundaries.

Seamer Umesh Yadav got rid of Clarke, who scored 43-ball 37 with the help of four boundaries. Australia lost their fourth wicket at the score of 111.

Yadav's full-length delivery got a faint outside edge from Clarke's bat en-route to wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha's hands.

Ponting hit two successive boundaries off Ishant Sharma to bring up 500 runs for the series and also take Australia's overall lead past 400-run mark against India. .

Clarke and Ponting resumed Australia's second innings on Day 4 after India conceded a huge first innings lead of 332 runs after the end of third day's play at the Adelaide Oval.

Australia resumed Day 4 at 50/3 in the second innings enjoying an overall lead of 382 runs.

There was some artificial excitement towards the end of third day's play when the home team lost their top-three for just 50 runs, but with an overall lead of 382 and seven wickets standing, Australia were merely stirred, not shaken.

Barring a miracle, it is hard to see this Indian line-up denying Australia a clean sweep of the four-Test series that was lost 10 days ago in Perth.

Virat Kohli provided the only bright moment by cracking his maiden century but India were still faced with a herculean task of preventing a 'whitewash' against Australia in the fourth and final Test.

Kohli stood bravely amidst the ruins with a gritty 116 but most of the other top batsmen surrendered meekly as India folded up for 272 in the first innings, and even though they were 332 runs in arrears of Australia's first innings tally - and therefore liable to follow-on - skipper Michael Clarke decided not to enforce the same.

Credit should also be given to young Wriddhiman Saha (35) who helped Kohli add 114 runs for the sixth wicket which helped the Delhi lad push for his three-figure mark. Kohli's delightful knock contained 11 boundaries and a six over deep mid-wicket off Michael Clarke's bowling.

The second new-ball again did the trick for Australia as India who were 225/5 at one stage lost five wickets for 47 runs in little over 10 overs.

Aussie paceman Peter Siddle charged in on the unresponsive flat Adelaide pitch to take five for 49, denting a few more Indian batting reputations and prolonging Sachin Tendulkar's wait for a 100th international century.

Kapil: As a cricketer I feel ashamed by India`s performance

Stating that he felt "ashamed" by the Indian cricket team`s dismal performance against Australia in the ongoing Test series, former India captain Kapil Dev said every aspect of the game has gone wrong for the Indians.

The Indian team came up with one of the worst performances in Australia, losing the four-match Test series 0-3, with one more match remaining.

"As a cricketer, I feel ashamed by the Indian team`s performance. They are not playing well and have gone wrong in every aspect of the game," said 1983 World Cup winning skipper.

"However, it is unfair to call them names as this is the same team that was world no. 1 only about six months back and was doing well. These are the same players who have made us proud so many times in the past. But now if they are not doing well, what can be said?" added Kapil in the sidelines of a function `Go for Gold` to support the athletes for the forthcoming London Olympics.

India have not just lost all three of their Tests so far in the series in Australia but have also failed to play for the full quota of five days. But Kapil refused to hold Twenty20 cricket responsible for the debacle.

"The team was playing T20 and one-day cricket even a year or six months back and were still performing well in Tests, so I don`t think it is fair to hold the shorter versions of the game responsible for team`s show in Australia," he insisted.

The 53-year-old all-rounder said that at this stage of the series, there should not be any change in the team.

"In the middle of the series, I don`t think there should be any change in the team. They are a good side. I just hope that they can put their head together and play as a unit."

Emphasising that this is no time for sensationalisation, Kapil said, "We should back our team when the chips are down.

"The team just needs to believe in itself and the captain must also believe in his side and look after himself as well as his team. It should try to script a comeback and we must all support the players in their endeavour."

Australia`s Cummins suffers further injury blow

Paceman Pat Cummins will miss part of Australia`s four-Test series against India after scans revealed his heel injury was more serious than expected and would take longer to recover.

The 18-year-old suffered the injury during his six-wicket debut in Australia`s second Test win against South Africa last month but had been expected to be available for the opening Test against India in Melbourne on December 26.

Further scans showed a "bone stress component" to his injury, team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said, and its added complexity was likely to see him sidelined until early to mid-January.

"By the end of last week it was apparent to all of us managing him that he was progressing slower than expected for a soft tissue injury of the heel," Kountouris said in a statement released by Cricket Australia on Wednesday.

"As such we arranged for him to see a foot specialist and had further scans that have identified a bone component to his injury that was not evident on the original scans.”

"This means that his recovery will take longer than first expected. He is not likely to resume bowling until early to mid-January 2012."

The expected recovery time will likely see Cummins miss the first and second Test, which begins on January 3 in Sydney. The third test in Perth starts on January 13.