BBC Sportcricket

THIRD TEST, Delhi (day five):
India 613-7d, 207-5d v Australia 577, 31-0

By Pranav Soneji

606: DEBATE Discuss the day's play on 606

1022: Right, that's enough from me - great to have your company over the past few days. Catch you back here soon.

1020: Great scenes as the entire Australian delegation shake Anil Kumble's hand. He's lofted on the shoulders of various team-mates as he is escorted around the ground by an entourage P Diddy would be envious of. An army of policemen are keeping the seemingly millions of photographers at bay. One policeman can't be bothered to do any policing, whipping out his video camera instead.

INDIA DRAW WITH AUSTRALIA - INDIA LEAD THE FOUR-TEST SERIES 1-0

CLOSE: AUSTRALIA 31-0

1016: Australia 31-0
Mishy's tweakers see out the match, conceding a single before the Indian players embrace Anil Kumble. Top player, top bowler. Hats off Jumbo.

1012: Australia 31-0
Kumble bowls what could well be his last ever over in Test cricket to Matthew Hayden. His first three are from around the wicket. No joy there, so he opts to over the wicket before going back around the wicket again, a delivery which spits from the rough and just skims past the off stump. His final delivery is a bit of a letdown - a full toss on middle stump - and Matty Hayden dispatches it straight down the crowd. So 619 Test wickets it is. Another round of handshakes with Billy Bowden getting in on the act.

1009: Australia 25-0
Amit Mishra comes on for a joust and concedes a single. We're coming close to the 15-over mark when the game can be called off in the final hour.

1007: Australia 24-0
Kumble, a huge splint poking out of his left hand - probably the reason why he announced his retirement after this Test, gets three cheers from the Feroz Shah Kotla crowd. He looks slightly embarrassed , as if he has just walked into the lingerie section at Harrod's by mistake.

"In answer to your question (see 0956) I recall Sri Lanka opening with two spinners in Galle in the Sri Lanka-Australia series in 2004. The pitch was an absolute bunsen, and Murali opened the bowling with I think Upul Chandana."
Rich in London

1002: Australia 23-0
Katich guides a sweep down past fine leg for four off Sehwag, who then gets thumped through the covers by Matt Hayden. Surely they can't go on any longer?

"So that's what...244 to win off 20 overs or so? Sounds like a Twenty20 type situation. Am I the only one who thinks Anil 'safety first' Kumble must have gone a bit giddy on the back of his announcement and handed the Aussies the faint sniff of a possible win?"
Andrew in Sheffield

As much as I would love to see some high-class Larry Dooley, it's all about Australian self preservation, which is a bit of a letdown, although Hayden just launches into an almighty cover drive for four off Kumble. Australia 14-0

0956: Australia 10-0
Virender Sehwag is taking the new ball at the other end - I can't ever remember a similar situation in a Test match with two spinners opening the bowling - anyone care to enlighten me? Sehwag immediately gets the ball to grip outside Katich's leg stump, forcing a leading edge, but the ball pierces the gap between silly point and slip. Kato turns a full toss off his toes through mid-wicket for four.

0952: Australia 4-0
Kumble is bang on the money first up, before opting to go around the wicket into the rough outside the off stump of the left-hander, although his last ball is a rank long-hop promptly dispatched to the mid-wicket boundary for the first runs of the innings.

0948: So Australia need 244 to win from 23 overs. Nice touch from Aussie openers Simon Katich and Matty Hayden, who both shake Kumble's hand before the start of the innings. Wonder of Matt "The Bat" is going to smear a few bigguns around the park....

0945: Anil Kumble receives a guard of honour from his team-mates as he wanders down from the dressing room. And he's instantly hounded by hordes of photographers. And guess who's taking the new ball...

0937: India 207-5 dec
Anil Kumble calls his stalwart middle order pair in with 23 overs left of the day. Jumbo obviously wants to bow out with a wicket or two - fair play. Come on the Aussies, you can snot on his chips today, let him have a few wickets. All 10 would be nice... India have a 244-run lead.

0935: India 207-5
Laxman nicks a run to backward point off Brett Lee. Sorry. A thoroughly unmemorable over.

"I note that your news of Australia's second try in the rugby was posted even before Phil posted it on the rugby text. I know you're getting very good at this stuff but there's no need to get cocky, young man."
Paul in Lancs

0929: India 206-5
Ganguly is clattered bang on the elbow by a spitting Clarke delivery from the rough, that has got to hurt. It's all super dull right now, so let's talk about Jumbo and what an incredible 18-year, 132-match Test career. I remember when he made his Test debut in the second Test against England in 1990, he had glasses the size of wagon wheels on his head. He looked every bit the computing studies student from Bangalore.

0926: India 206-5
Matthew Hayden spills a very difficult catch diving low to his left at first/second slip off Brett Lee from around the wicket to Sourav Ganguly. So there it is, despite suggesting he would carry on indefinitely in the face of intense media scrutiny about his retirement date, Kumble says enough is enough after 619 Test wickets and bows out one match before his former captain Sourav Ganguly. So Mahendra Singh Dhoni will lead India in Kanpur.

0921: BREAKING NEWS - ANIL KUMBLE HAS ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT FROM INTERNATIONAL CRICKET AFTER THIS TEST MATCH.

"What India is doing to this match should be made illegal. India should've declared at 150 and made Australia go at 200+ and make the final session a 20/20-style fight. What's the point of playing the final session when everyone knows it's going to be a draw?"
Barry via the TMS inbox

I hear you Barry, what we're witnessing now is utterly pointless - especially as most of the Aussies (and myself) would prefer to be watching the rugby league. But when you're 1-0 up in a four-match series, consolidation is the name of the game and unfortunately entertainment is very much sitting up in row Z.

0915: India 201-5
Ganguly brings up the 200 with a single to square leg, although he survived a not unreasonable shout for lbw the ball before from Clarke as he pads up to a ball outside off stump. Laxman adds a single. Not good news on the rugby league front - England are 12-0 down in the first 15 minutes.

0910: India 199-5
Brett Lee takes up the attack as Sourav Ganguly feathers a single between point and cover for a single. Laxman wasn't keen on the run, but ambles through without too many issues. Absolutely quality scenes as an industrious fan sitting above the Indian dressing room uses a piece of string to pass down a piece of paper like a dumbwaiter for Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid to sign. The Indian duo are equally as impressed with his inventiveness. The fan signals a huge thumbs up when he admires his valuable piece of memorabilia.

0907: India 198-5
Ganguly brings up the 50 partnership off Michael Clarke with a lovely punchy back-foot drive through cover for four, wonderful timing to boot. The ball is bouncing all over the shop, one rears and almost knocks Haddin's helmet off, while another ball, which pitches in the same areas, almost bits Ganguly on the ankles.

"As it appears to be drifting towards a draw, should we liven things up a bit with some 20/20-style razamatazz? A winner-takes-all tombola, say? Everyone sends in a random number, your editor puts them all in a big flashy hat, and you draw one and announce it to the sound of Girls Aloud singing a song. Then whoever wins get a whole parapraph of their choice at the end of the play, as long as it's not too rude."
Paul in Lancs

Nice idea Paul, I was thinking along the lines of everyone emails a random word in and, in the corresponding order they enter the TMS inbox, I copy and paste them into one big super paragraph. More importantly, we have kick-off at the Telstra Dome in the Rugby League World Cup Group A crunch match between England and hosts Australia. Phil Harlow is yer man with the live text:

TEA: INDIA 193-5

0841: India 193-5
Ganguly cuts a single to deep cover off Cameron White, lovely stroke for just a single, bit of an injustice really. This is getting a bit pointless now. VVS works a lovely flick past mid-on for two with the last ball before tea to move on to 55, with "Dada" Ganguly looking decidedly comfy on 22 as India lead by 229 runs.

0836: India 186-5
Punter recalls Cameron White, who sees VVS flick a glance off his legs for a single, along with swept single from Ganguly. Tea's around the corner.

0832: India 184-5
More regal strokeplay from Spesh, who threads a pinpoint drive through cover off Michael Clarke for a boundary, following that up with a back-foot cut through the same area for another four. VVS moves to 48 while the partnership races to 52.

0829: India 175-5
Spesh carves a thick outside edge past Matthew Hayden at slip four boundary number four to move to 40. The stroke was intentional, although probably a little finer than he would have liked but they all count.

0824: India 171-5
Clarke adopts Ashley Giles tactics and bowls over the wicket to VVS, who dabs a single down to square leg. Meanwhile, Sourav Ganguly shrugs off any conservatism by dancing down the track and thumping the left-arm spinner right back over his head for a massive six. If there is one man who has bullied left-arm spinners over the past 10 years, it's him. I remember when he and Tendulkar took Ashley Giles apart during the 2002 tour to England at Headingley in a devastating one-hour salvo, including one blow which cracked the head of a punter attempting to catch one of his bombs in the crowd. Earned him a spot on TV at tea with Simon Hughes under the caption "dropped Sourav Ganguly on 56".

0820: India 163-5
Watson drops short and VVS rocks on to his back foot and smacks the ball to deep square leg, while a thick outside edge from Ganguly runs along the carpet down to third man. Ponting's got the look of a one-day field here, he has given up hope for any result now too.

0816: India 161-5
One comes Michael Clarke, who is confidently swept down to fine leg by Ganguly for a single. Late adjustment and soft hands from VVS sees him snuff a dangerous ball which spits from the rough outside off stump down past first slip. Go on Anil K, declare. Give us some entertainment.

0811: India 158-5
Uppish from Ganguly, but fortunately his leg-side flick is well wide of square leg as he notches his second boundary, this time off Shane Watson. Fair play to the Aussies, they're shining this ball as if it was a brand-spanking new Aston Martin DB7 and there's enough reverse swing in the air to keep the pacemen interested, although the movement is not as exaggerated as the Indian seam duo.

0807: India 154-5
The close fielders crowd around Ganguly's bat as Cameron White twirls away, but Ganguly punches through the covers for one to add to the single by Spesh earlier in the over.

0803: India 152-5
Someone mentions Krusty the clown for some reason in the outfield, not quite sure why but any Simpsons character is always welcome in the world of live text commentary. VVS whips a ball off midle to fine leg off Shane Watson, who then serves up a short and wide delivery for Ganguly, playing in his penultimate Test, who crunches the ball through the covers off the back foot with a horizontal bat for four, a boundary which brings up the 150.

0753: India 145-4
A punchy drive off the back foot for once isn't timed to perfection from VVS, but still manages to collect two runs for his troubles off Shane Watson. Spesh then needlessly chases a wide delivery way, way outside off stump, a sign his concentration is quite where it should be right now. And the final ball of the over is a good'un from Watson.

0744: India 143-4
Ricky Ponting sticks himself in at forward short leg because Simon Katich is off the pitch, so we get our first glimpse of Shaun Marsh, who was called out to replace the injured Phil Jacques. Punter can't do too much about yet another gorgeous VVS cover drive off White, which is cut off from the boundary by the cover sweeper, while Laxman adds a single with a flick to square leg.

0740: India 140-4
A very decent lbw appeal against Tendulkar by Shane Watson is turned down by Aleem Dar. That looks close - and Hawkeye says the ball would have clipped leg stump after trapping Sachin inside his crease. And to make matters worse for Watson, Sachin once again opens the face and guides a beautiful square drive for four to move to within three runs of his 51st half century. But nice riposte from Watson, who sends down a very good inswinger as Tendulkar attempts the same stroke. Time for drinks.

0736: India 136-4
Cameron White tosses up a couple of inviting deliveries which both Spesh and Sachin tuck into as India kill Australia's valiant efforts to squeeze a result out of this test match.

0731: India 132-4
Shane Watson comes on for his first spell of the second innings - and he serves up a buffet ball for Tendulkar, who clips a fine glance off his legs for his third boundary. But he just about escapes a wild slash outside off stump to a ball too close to cut which thuds into Brad Haddin's gloves. The ball actually deviated after passing the edge, giving the impression the ball actually brushed the edge. Another fine flick sees Tendulkar add another two runs to his tally as Johnson's throw from fine leg knocks the off stump out of the ground with a direct hit.

0727: India 126-4
Spesh unleashes the most wristy of straight drives past mid-on for four hitting with the spin off Cameron White. That stroke was so elegant it could find a home on the catwalks in Paris or Milan. He adds a single as the Victorian captain drops short, while Tendulkar scythes a wide ball to the deep cover boundary for a run.

0723: India 120-4
Mitchell Johnson does a Zaheer Khan, covering the ball as he comes to the crease to hide which way he is holding the ball, which is starting to reverse. Lovely stuff from Sachin, who opens the face of his bat and merely feathers a square drive to the deep point boundary, where Cameron White cuts off the boundary as the Indian pair add two runs to the total.

0718: India 118-4
The much-maligned Cameron White comes on for his first over of the day and beats Tendulkar with a doozy of a delivery outside off stump. That's probably the first delivery the leggie has actually turned. Tendulkar turns a straight ball to square leg off the final ball of the over to nick the strike.

0714: India 117-4
More pad flickery from Tendulkar off Johnson sees him manoeuvre a single and a double to move on to 32. This is pretty much a cast-iron draw now. However, I'm slightly annoyed this match will be going on while England play Australia in the Rugby League World Cup in Melbourne in what can only be described as a tussle of quite Zeussian proportions. The Aussies may not be favourites for this series, but it will take one almighty performance to knock the Kangaroos off their perch in their home turf. Come on England.

0710: India 114-4
Clarke drops short and Laxman uses his rubber wrists to work the ball through mid-wicket for four, like watching Michelangelo at work. If he had a 1.3kg piece of willow in his hand. And still alive almost 550 years after his birth.

0706: India 110-4
Johnson is attempting to lull Tendulkar into a drive outside off stump, but le petit maestro is having none of it, a bit like his double ton in Sydney four years ago, when he left every single delivery outside his off stump alone because his driving was in bad shape. Just a single from the over.

"Chanderpaul, Joseph, Sarwan, and Mohammed are each $1m better off having neither batted nor bowled last night - nice work if you can get it (bit like your job, Pranav...well ok only a bit). The latter two bagged a catch each but how many other meaningful touches of the ball did the four of them contribute I wonder? There are clearly some very useful 'dollars earned per touch of the ball' type stats to be had here. With a subcontinental stalemate probably ensuing perhaps fellow England fans in the UK who (unlike me) wisely recorded the game and went out last night, could revise plans not to bother watching the debacle and keep a keen eye on those four with statto hats on."
Andrew in Sheffield

England, you can't score more than 100 runs, you are the weakest link. Goodbye.

0702: India 109-4
Pup's darts are on the money as Tendulkar once again uses sight of the hawk to fend off the over. That's Clarke's fifth maiden.

0659: India 109-4
A thick inside edge off Tendulkar's oak tree of a bat just - and I really do mean just - misses leg stump as the ball squirts down to fine leg for a single. Out comes the tongue stud of Mitchell Johnson, who looks utterly aghast. VVS and MJ are still chuntering away to each other, although the former has a brush with fate after a quick single call from Tendulkar, but Cameron White's throw from mid-off is just off target. Had the leggie hit the timber, Spesh would have been a foot out of his ground.

0655: India 106-4
Lovely textbook cover drive from Spesh off Michael Clarke sees him move into double figures, while Tendulkar nurdles two singles either side to take his total to 27.

0651: India 101-4
Nice aggressive bowling from Mitchell J, peppering Laxman with some short stuff along with the angling delivery across his stumps. These two had a bit of a ding-dong just before lunch, maybe it was down to low sugar levels. One glug of the almost radioactive-orange colour of Miranda and they're back to normal. That drink has more sugar than a Tate and Lyle factory with more colour than a salmon-skinned Englishman in the tropics. A single from Tendulkar first ball in the over keeps the scoreboard ticking.

0647: India 100-4
Lovely bowling from "Pup" Clarke , floating a delivery around the wicket which turns sharply from the rough, stitching Laxman up as he attempts an expansive drive. Fingers burned, Very Very Special gets his bat well out of the way for the rest of the over, another maiden. Now there's a cracking nickname - beats Pup, Binga and Punter every time.

0645: India 100-4
VVS very nearly plays on with the very first over of the second session from Mitchell Johnson. The man from Hyderabad doesn't have a Scooby Doo where the ball is as he looks about until he sees the battered red-stitched bundle of leather about two inches from his back foot. He deals with the rest of the over with more authority, clipping a single off his hip to bring up the India ton.

0640: VVS and Sachin are out, along with the sated Aussie players for session number two.

"Didn't India lose the psychological advantage in the series by going defensive today? I especially dislike to see Gambhir not playing his usual. I think India should go all out for the next 25 overs after lunch, declare innings, and challenge Australia to allow adequate time to try a win and bring some life into the game. However that was my fantasy. You don't expect india to play exciting cricket unless it is forced upon them."
Manas, Dallas

LUNCH: INDIA 99-4

0601: India 99-4
Clarke sends down the last over before lunch, which Tendulkar inevitably plays with a straight and delicate bat. Off for nibbles, see you back here in 40 minutes.

0557: India 99-4
VVS dabs the ball down past first slip for four off Johnson, prompting Ricky Ponting to move himself from short mid-wicket to second slip. Johnson is laying into VVS with the verbals after a series of probing deliveries - and VVS says something back at the end of the over which provokes the left-arm seamer to do a Jose Mourinho wagging index finger motion. Umpires Aleem Dar and Billy Bowden are not happy with the banter and words are exchanged with Ricky Ponting. I may be paraphrasing but it's along the lines of "Oiiii Ricky! Nooo!"

0553: India 95-4
Clarke floats up a carrot with bells on for VVS, who just about does his best to pull out of an expansive drive. He plays one of his dreamy front-foot drives to mid-off, earning a single for a shot which really should be worth so much more.

0544: India 93-3
Clarke twirls around the wicket to Tendulkar, who shoulders arms to a ball which is a little straighter than he anticipated. Top fielding from Mike Hussey at square leg, making a diving stop after Tendulkar latches on to a short delivery, ensures there is a big M in the scorebook.

0542: India 93-3
Tendulkar works a ball on middle and off from Mitchell Johnson to mid-wicket for two before scything a ball outside off stump to third man for a single. It's all looking a bit easy out there, mind you - one wicket goes...

0537: India 90-3
Pup Clarke rips one the other way as it grips in the rough outside Gambhir's off stump, but he serves up two easy singles for both batsmen. Stalemate is ensuing.

0533: India 88-3
"Keep it nice and hard there Mitchy" shouts Punter. Must...resist...double ...entendre....gag. The Aussie captain positions himself at second slip as Mitchell Johnson bowls an excellent line and length to Tendulkar, zipping and moving away slightly outside off stump, but the chunky blade is placed well away from danger. Gambhir nabs a single to move to 35.

0529: India 87-3
Tendulkar opts to play Clarke on his back foot, ensuring he has as much time as possible to watch the ball on to bat. Maiden over.

0527: India 87-3
Johnson is setting up Tendulkar outside off stump, but the India number four eschews the bait in favour of shouldering arms. Tendulkar moves to 20 with another clip off his hip.

0522: India 86-3
Tendulkar pushes a single with a mistimed cut shot, which gives Clarke the opportunity to bowl into the footmarks outside of Gautam Gambhir's off stump. He gets one delivery to turn, courtesy of a cute explosion of dust, but nothing to worry the diligent opener.

0519: India 85-3
Lee takes a breather, handing Mitchell Johnson his first joust of the morning. The Queenslander has a decent head of steam, coming in at 92.5mph, but umpire Aleem Dar doesn't like his short ball tactics, adjudging his second ball a wide after it sails way over Tendulkar's head. Tendulkar misses a slash outside off stump to a delivery which doesn't bounce, but he clips a single wide of mid-on to retain the strike.

0513: India 83-3
What is the point of Cameron White in this series? Once again Punter turns to Michael Clarke, whose second delivery is punch through mid-wicket for four by Gautam Gambhir, who uses his feet to hit the ball on the full. More dreamy strokeplay from Tendulkar, once again opening the face of the bat and running the ball down to third man for three.

0510: India 75-3
Lee shakes Tendulkar up with a nasty short delivery, but Test cricket's all-time leading run scorer whips his bottom hand off the bat to ensure the ball rolls along the ground to a shortish square leg. Michael Clarke makes a top diving stop to save a certain four at backward point as Sachin opens the blade, but the Aussie vice-captain can only watch as Tendulkar guides a wider ball down to the vacant third man boundary. Why can't I bat like that?

"Good morning from a cold and damp England. It's been a joy to follow your commentary on this match, a much welcome diversion from the farce in the Caribbean that has dominated the sports news here in Blighty!"
Nick in the TMS inbox

0501: India 71-3
Sachin sets off like Usain Bolt after pushing a Clark delivery to mid-on for a well-taken single, while Gambhir opts for the tortoise approach, shouldering arms to anything which he doesn't need to play. Time for drinks.

"Blimey, Pranav, you haven't been going an hour and you've got imagery drawn from swimming (0347), football (0404), archery (0422), boxing (0427) & sailing (0431) - you going for the full Olympic?"
David, Spain

Now THAT is what I call a challenge. Touche David...

0457: India 70-3
Wallop - Tendulkar finds his groove with a sensational back-foot square drive past backward point for four off Lee. The ball wasn't even that bad. The next delivery brushes his pads before racing down fine for another boundary - albeit to the extras total - before a dreamy flick off middle stump through mid-wicket sees the little man move to nine.

0451: India 59-3
Clark maintains his around the wicket line, this time to Sachin Tendulkar, throwing in a bouncer and a slower ball, but Sachin gets off strike with another flick off his hips. The chirps start up again as Gambhir takes strike - most definitely a ploy to wind him up for sure. No point in doing that to Sachin, who has the serenity of a Buddhist monk at the crease.

"This Test is bringing back painful memories of Adelaide (Ashes 2006). Can lighting strike twice even though Australia have lost Warne and McGrath? Are the Indian batsmen made of stronger stuff than the Poms?"
Rob in Santa Barbara, California via the TMS inbox

0447: India 58-3
Sachin gets off the mark with a lovely flick off his pads to fine leg, which gives Gambhir his first test against Lee. And the left-hander edges his first ball from around the wicket just short of Matt Hayden at a wide first slip as Tendulkar charges down the pitch for a single but gets promptly sent back by his partner, who turns his back to indicate he ain't moving an inch. SHOT! Gambhir just eases a flick off his legs as Lee overpitches down to the square leg boundary for four, as Alan Partridge might say, liquid cricket.

0440: India 53-3
The chirps are flying in thick and fast now, "he's not scoring any runs" shouts Matt "the bat" Hayden at first slip, could have thought of something a little more original, but Gautam Gambhir adopts the serene approach and completely ignores everything directed his way.

0431: India 53-2
Gambhir once again declines Stuart Clark's invitation to drive outside off stump with three men close in around the bat. One of those fielders, Ricky Ponting, almost decapitates umpire Billy Bowden when his turn and throw just sails over the head of the New Zealand umpire as he takes evasive action.

0427: India 53-2
Strange shot from Dravid, who attempts to withdraw his bat from a Brett Lee slower ball, only to drive the ball through cover for two. Dravid looks sharp this morning, on his toes like a featherweight boxer as he ducks and weaves through a succession of short balls while judiciously leaving anything outside of off stump.

0422: India 51-2
The Aussies have suddenly perked up in the field, unlike their veil of silence in Mohali. One unnamed fielder shouts "cover drives are coming" as Stuart Clark chugs in, but Gambhir - who was given plenty of chirps in Bangalore from Ponting - keeps his showpiece stroke firmly in his quiver as maiden number three is bowled. Some nice variation from Clark, who throws in a couple of cheeky leg cutters to keep Gambhir keen.

0418: India 51-2
Interesting field from Ricky Ponting, with a short cover, a very straight silly mid-on and a silly mid-wicket for Dravid. But he only has one slip, although the size of Matthew Hayden's mitts means he could cover first, second and third slip without too much bother. But Dravid has signalled his wall-like mentality as he fends all six of Lee's deliveries for a second successive maiden.

0414: India 51-2
Stu Clark maintains his around the wicket line to Gautam Gambhir, but the left-hander is not having anything to do with the carrots dangled outside his off stump. Maiden over.

0409: India 51-2
Brett Lee saunters in for a poke at Rahul Dravid, who received a rather nasty blow to the wrist first up from Stuart Clark on Saturday. Amazing what a bit of ice can do as the former India captain flicks his healed wrists and send a ball homed in on his pads to the square leg boundary for the second four of the morning. The 50 pops up like the long-lost relatives of the world's latest millionaires in the West Indies.

0404: India 47-2
Gambhir turns Clark's first delivery off his pads for a four timed better than Roman Pavlyuchenko's last-minute winner for Spurs against Liverpool at White Hart Lane on Saturday. Incredible shot, he takes two steps down the track before dismissing the ball with a hint of arrogance to the square leg boundary. How India will want his appeal hearing against a one-match ban for his hoo-haa with Shane Watson heard until after the fourth Test.

0359: A touch of haze at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium as Gautam Gambhir takes guard while Stuart Clark goes through a few warm-up exercises before kicking off an intriguing two-hour session.

0353: This morning session will be a tricky couple of hours for India to weather, there's still plenty of time for a denouement of epic proportions. Big fan of the word denouement. England probably aren't after their week in the Caribbean.

0347: Hello. I wonder how the Stanford party is going right now in Antigua, I half expect to hear about Chris Gayle swinging from chandeliers before diving head first into an eight-foot deep swimming pool filled with Moet. Things will be a little more staid in Delhi, although a few early wickets and the Aussies be cashing in, although not quite to the tune of $1m a man.

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