17 October 2004	Sunday	02 Ramazan 1425

CHENNAI, Oct 16: Anil Kumble grabbed three wickets in the final session to leave India in control of the second cricket Test against world champions Australia here on Saturday.

The tourists, trailing the hosts by 141 runs after the first innings, were 150 for four in their second knock at stumps on the third day, a slender lead of nine runs with six wickets in hand.

Australia, leading 1-0 in the four-match series, return on Sunday aiming to set India a sizeable target on a wearing wicket at the Chepauk.

Kumble, who claimed seven wickets in the first innings, removed openers Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer after they had put on 53 for the first wicket.

The leg-spinner ended the day with the vital wicket of captain Adam Gilchrist just before stumps to record his sixth 10-wicket haul in a Test match.

Left-handed Gilchrist, who made 49 after promoting himself to number three, was bowled round his legs.

At stumps, Damien Martyn was on 19 while nightwatchman Jason Gillespie had yet to score.

Earlier, India were all out for 376 in their first innings soon after lunch with Mohammad Kaif scoring a career-best 64 before being afflicted by dehydration and cramps. Parthiv Patel contributed 54.

Leg-spinner Shane Warne, who became Test cricket's leading bowler on Friday, finished with 6-125 to take his career tally to 537 wickets.

It was the leg-spinner's 28th five-wicket haul in 114 Tests and made amends for a wicketless display by premier fast bowler Glenn McGrath, who went for 0-74 from 25 overs.

Indian captain Saurav Ganguly, however, warned team-mates against taking victory for granted.

"We may have the upper hand, but the match is not over by any means," said Ganguly.

"There are still six wickets to be taken first and we must do that for as little runs as possible. Chasing a big target on this wicket could be hazardous.

"I am delighted at the way Kaif and Patel batted in the morning which helped us take a good lead.

"Gilchrist's wicket towards the end of play was just what we needed. Hopefully we can turn them over quickly tomorrow."

After Hayden and Langer compiled a half-century stand by tea, Kumble struck with the first delivery after the break when Langer (19) edged a catch to Rahul Dravid in the slips.

Hayden, dropped twice by wicket-keeper Patel on zero and 21, threw away his wicket for 39 when he top-edged a wild sweep off Kumble to Venkatsai Laxman at short mid-wicket.

Gilchrist and Simon Katich put on 45 for the third wicket when left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan broke through by trapping Katich leg-before with Australia still 20 runs in arrears.

Kaif, playing his fifth Test but only the first since 2001 despite being a regular member of the one-day side, did not resume his innings after the lunch break due to the cramps in his left leg.

Kaif limped onto the field after the fall of the ninth wicket and was soon run out after falling to the ground in pain.

He was taken to hospital and put on glucose drips to overcome the dehydration caused by the stifling heat and humidity in this southern coastal city.

Kaif and his overnight partner Patel, who started the day at 291-6, saw out the first hour to take their seventh-wicket stand to 102 before Warne broke through.

The leg-spinner forced Patel to edge a catch to wicket-keeper Gilchrist.

Patel, who came to the crease on Friday afternoon with India still one run short of Australia's first innings total of 235, stood firm for almost three hours to score 54.

It was the 19-year-old wicket-keeper's fourth half-century in 18 Tests and followed his defiant 46 in the first Test at Bangalore, which India lost by 217 runs.

Scoreboard

AUSTRALIA (1st Innings) 235 (J.L. Langer 71, M.L. Hayden 58; A. Kumble 7-48).

INDIA (1st Innings, overnight 291-6):

Yuvraj Singh c Gilchrist b Warne 8

V. Sehwag c Clarke b Warne 155

Irfan Pathan c Hayden b Warne 14

R. Dravid b Kasprowicz 26

S.C. Ganguly c Gilchrist b Gillespie 9

V.V.S. Laxman b Gillespie 4

Mohammad Kaif run out 64

P.A. Patel c Gilchrist b Warne 54

A. Kumble b Warne 20

Harbhajan Singh c and b Warne 5

Zaheer Khan not out 0

EXTRAS (B-6, LB-3, W-2, NB-6) 17

TOTAL (all out, 134.3 overs) 376

FALL OF WKTS: 1-28, 2-83, 3-178, 4-203, 5-213, 6-233, 7-335, 8-369, 9-372.

BOWLING: McGrath 25-4-74-0 (3nb, 2w); Gillespie 35-8-70-2; Warne 42.3-5-125-6; Kasprowicz 25-5-65-1 (3nb); Lehmann 5-0-26-0; Katich 2-0-7-0.

AUSTRALIA (2nd Innings):

J.L. Langer c Dravid b Kumble 19

M.L. Hayden c Laxman b Kumble 39

A.C. Gilchrist b Kumble 49

S.M. Katich lbw b Zaheer 9

D.R. Martyn not out 19

J.N. Gillespie not out 0

EXTRAS (B-9, LB-5, NB-1) 15

TOTAL (for four wkts, 50 overs) 150

FALL OF WKTS: 1-53, 2-76, 3-121, 4-145.

BOWLING (to-date): Irfan Pathan 6-2-17-0; Zaheer Khan 10-3-15-1 (1nb); Harbhajan 18-3-46-0; Kumble 15-1-53-3; Sehwag 1-0-5-0.-Agencies