05 November 2004	Friday	21 Ramazan 1425

MUMBAI, Nov 4: Australia's Jason Gillespie produced a superb spell of pace bowling to help rout India for 104 but Anil Kumble then grabbed five wickets to keep home hopes alive on the second day of the fourth Test on Thursday.

Kumble took five for 90 as Australia eked out 203 on a dusty wicket for a 99-run first-innings lead. Left-arm spinner Murali Kartik chipped in with four for 44.

At stumps India, whose first-innings total was their lowest at home against Australia, were five without loss.

Damien Martyn, dropped on 11, held the Australian innings together with a 114-ball 55 as India's three frontline spinners exploited a track offering uneven bounce and sharp turn.

The 33-year-old Martyn has been in top form in the series, scoring two centuries and a 97. Matthew Hayden added a fiery 35, including three sixes.

Australia have already clinched the four-match series by taking a 2-0 lead for their first triumph in India since 1969.

Eighteen wickets fell on an action-packed Thursday as India, 22 for two overnight after a rain-hit day one, were soon 33 for five as Gillespie sent back Sachin Tendulkar (5), Vangipurappu Laxman (1) and Mohammad Kaif (2).

Tendulkar, a shadow of himself since returning from injury in the third Test in Nagpur, fell in th 18 wickets fall on second day's third over when he fished outside off, only to be caught behind.

Laxman, given a last chance by the selectors after a string of failures, went the same way off an unplayable swinging delivery.

Kaif, with half-centuries in the last two Tests, followed soon after when he was given lbw while shouldering arms to a ball that nipped in sharply.

Off spinner Nathan Hauritz, replacing the injured Shane Warne, made a dream debut, taking three for 16 including a wicket off his third ball.

India's only bright spot came when Rahul Dravid, stranded on 31 not out, pulled Hauritz over mid-wicket for six.

Stand-in captain Dravid, with only one genuine quick bowler to call upon in Zaheer Khan, opted for off spinner Harbhajan Singh to share the new ball.

But it was Khan who got the breakthrough, having Justin Langer caught at slip for 12.

Captain Ricky Ponting, back in the side after missing the first three Tests with a broken thumb, continued his dismal run in India when he was trapped lbw for 11 by Kumble. Ponting had scored only 17 in five innings in India in 2001.

Matthew Hayden hit a six off each spinner before Kartik had him caught at bat-pad by Mohammad Kaif, who took four catches. Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh went wicketless from 21 overs.

Wickets tumbled at regular intervals but Adam Gilchrist (26) and Michael Kasprowicz (19) chipped in to take Australia past 200.

Scoreboard

India (1st innings) (overnight 22-2)

G.Gambhir lbw b Gillespie 3

V.Sehwag b McGrath 8

R.Dravid not out 31

S.Tendulkar c Gilchrist b Gillespie 5

V.Laxman c Gilchrist b Gillespie 1

M.Kaif lbw b Gillespie 2

D.Karthik b Kasprowicz 10

A.Kumble c Ponting b Hauritz 16

Harbhajan Singh c Katich b Hauritz 14

M.Kartik c Gilchrist b Hauritz 0

Z.Khan b Kasprowicz 0

Extras (b-6 lb-7 nb-1) 14

Total (all out, 41.3 overs) 104

Fall of wkts: 1-11 2-11 3-29 4-31 5-33 6-46 7-68 8-100 9-102

Bowling: McGrath 16-9-35-1, Gillespie 12-2-29-4, Kasprowicz 8.3-3-11-2 (nb-1), Hauritz 5-0-16-3

Australia (1st innings)

J.Langer c Dravid b Khan 12

M.Hayden c Kaif b Kartik 35

R.Ponting lbw b Kumble 11

D.Martyn b Kartik 55

S.Katich c Kaif b Kumble 7

M.Clarke st Karthik b Kumble 17

A.Gilchrist c Kaif b Kartik 26

J.Gillespie c Kaif b Kumble 2

N.Hauritz c Harbhajan Singh b Kumble 0

M.Kasprowicz c Kumble b Kartik 19

G.McGrath not out 9

Extras (b-2 lb-4 nb-4) 10

Total (all out, 61.3 overs) 203

Fall of wkts: 1-17 2-37 3-81 4-101 5-121 6-157 7-167 8-171 9-184

Bowling: Khan 6-0-10-1 (nb-1), Harbhajan Singh 21-4-53-0, Kumble 19-0-90-5, Kartik 15.3-1-44-4 (nb-3)

India (2nd innings)

G.Gambhir not out 1

V.Sehwag not out 4

Extras 0

Total (for no wicket, three overs) 5

Bowling (to date): Gillespie 2-0-5-0, Hauritz 1-1-0-0.- Reuters