Matthew Hayden's century proved a vital contribution

Matthew Hayden and Michael Hussey gave Australia an outside chance of forcing a 16th consecutive Test victory with a doughty partnership against India.

Australia closed day four of the second Test in Sydney on 282-4, with Hayden out for 123 and Hussey still there on 87, leading overall by 213 runs.

Anil Kumble took 3-110 and almost had a dramatic hat-trick late in the day.

He removed Hayden, Michael Clarke for a golden duck, and had a huge appeal against Andrew Symonds turned down.

Kumble's lbw appeal against Symonds looked straight, but umpire Steve Bucknor gave the Australian batsman the benefit of the doubt - and replays suggested the ball may have bounced too high.

Hayden, who developed back and hamstring injuries in the course of his innings and had to use skipper Ricky Ponting as a runner, restored Australia's second innings with Hussey after two wickets had fallen just before lunch.

606: DEBATE Ponting will declare once the lead is around the 315-mark, which it should be about 45 minutes before lunch BBC Sport's Oliver Brett

And at stumps, wins for either team looked a possibility given fine weather on the last day, but a draw looked the likeliest result.

A win for Australia would equal the run of victories obtained by Steve Waugh's Australians in 2001.

The day began with Hayden and Phil Jaques (42) eating into India's 69-run lead.

They managed to wipe out the deficit before Jaques swept Kumble straight to deep square-leg to give the Indian captain his 100th success against Australia.

Ponting then fell cheaply to Harbhajan Singh - his nemesis in the Indian side.

Facing his fourth ball, the Australia skipper attempted an awkward drive and got a thick leading edge, which popped up on the off-side and gave silly-point an easy catch.

I reckon 260 might be enough - we've got too many runs now Matthew Hayden

The remainder of the day looked like belonging to Hayden and Hussey, who added 160 in a 44-over partnership that straddled the lunch and tea intervals, and a couple of afternoon showers.

Finally, Hayden reverse-swept Kumble to backward square-leg, and the very next ball Clarke attempted a late cut which he could only glove to Rahul Dravid at slip.

It was a good catch, and a clean one, but Clarke incomprehensibly stood his ground and had to be sent on his way by umpire Bucknor.

It was his first duck in Tests.

Australia's Matthew Hayden:
"We'll be wanting to push for a win, no doubt about that. We've given ourselves the best chance at this stage, so we're in there with a shot.

"I reckon 260 might be enough. We've got too many runs now."

India's Sourav Ganguly:
"They're 200 ahead. Tomorrow is the last day, it's still a good wicket. There is a bit of turn, but nothing dangerous.

"They still have to get 300 - I don't know what Ricky Ponting is going to think.