Lunch India 191 and 3 for 243 (Gambhir 83, Tendulkar 70*, Laxman 44*) trail Australia 4 for 659 dec by 225 runs
Gautam Gambhir missed the chance for a drought-ending century but Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman continued to fight for India on the fourth day in Sydney. Gambhir was the only batsman to fall during the day's opening session as India added 129 runs to their overnight total and reduced the deficit to 225, but at 3 for 243 plenty of work still remained for them to make Australia bat again.
Tendulkar was on 70 and Laxman had reached 44, and the Australians were keen to ensure there was no repeat of their 353-run partnership at the same ground eight years ago. Laxman had survived a scare before he had scored when he gloved the ball down the leg side off Peter Siddle, but the ball appeared to drop fractionally short of the gloves of Brad Haddin.
It was a difficult morning for Haddin, who let several byes go past, the ball often swinging after it passed the batsmen. Later in the session, fewer balls were getting past the bat as Laxman started to play some of his trademark wristy flicks through the leg side, against the fast men and also the offspin of Nathan Lyon.
Tendulkar played some wonderful cover-drives early in the morning and shortly before the lunch break upper-cut a frustrated James Pattinson over the sole slip for another boundary. It wasn't quite as controlled a stroke as the upper-cuts he had played in Melbourne, but all the same he made it to lunch safely and the prospect of a hundredth international hundred was certainly on the cards.
There were several impressive cuts and clips through the leg side from Tendulkar, who had lost only one partner during the session. On 83, Gambhir stood on the crease and reached his bat a long way forward to the bowling of Siddle, who found a leading edge that was snapped up by David Warner at point. It was a disappointing end for Gambhir, who has not scored a Test ton since January 2010
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