By David Ornstein

Hayden averaged just 10 in the series before the third Test

Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting weighed in with important knocks as Australia reached 338-4 on day three of the third Test against India in Delhi.

Resuming on 50-0 in reply to India's 613-7 declared, Hayden (83) and Simon Katich (64) showed fine concentration in putting on 123 for the first wicket.

Ponting (87) and Mike Hussey (53) then frustrated the hosts before both fell to Virender Sehwag (3-66).

Michael Clarke and Shane Watson reduced the tourists' deficit to 275 at stumps.

They still require another 75 runs to avoid the follow-on but will be delighted to have come through a testing day for the loss of only four wickets.

Especially so after umpire Aleem Dar chose not to raise his finger despite Amit Mishra trapping Watson in front of his stumps three overs before the close.

India would have hoped for a more profitable day with the ball but early strikes on day four will maintain their hopes of claiming victory and taking an unassailable 2-0 lead into the final Test.

While Australia's openers batted superbly to reach the close unscathed on day two, the real test of their durability was always likely to come in the opening hour on Friday.

606: DEBATE Gripping day... another wicket and India would have been laughing... good fight back from the Aussies - it all depends on the first session tomorrow duduindia

In hazy conditions and with the pitch showing early hints of deterioration, India threw both seam and spin at the tourists in the form of Zaheer Khan and Anil Kumble.

Zaheer looked in particularly menacing form and rattled Hayden's helmet with a venomous first-ball bouncer before his third ball cannoned off the Queenslander's shoulder.

But the Australians weathered the storm and settled into a fine rhythm, Katich happily dominating the strike and being rewarded with a flurry of beautifully timed boundaries.

Katich was good value for his 10th Test half-century, which he brought up by flicking Kumble off his legs for a scrambled single.

India captain Kumble then turned to the pace of Ishant Sharma and spin of Mishra but neither could knock Hayden or Katich out of their stride.

Hayden clubbed Mishra's sixth ball over midwicket for six to bring up Australia's ton and, with the opening hour safely navigated, lofted the leg spinner over mid-on to the boundary.

Ponting batted from before lunch to half-way through the final session

With the pair looking increasingly comfortable the dismissal of Katich, befuddled by a ball that spun sharply between bat and pad before splitting his stumps, came as a timely fillip for India.

Ponting eased himself in with a couple of sweetly struck boundaries and Hayden, averaging just 10 in the series before this Test, brought up his half century with a fine cover drive off Sharma.

Hayden survived an over of devilish off spin from Sehwag before lunch and, soon after the restart, Kumble thought he had the left-hander caught at slip but his huge appeal was correctly rejected by umpire Billy Bowden.

India were perhaps lacking the sense of urgency that characterised their victory in Mohali but they almost removed Hayden when his fierce drive off Mishra was put down by Kumble at short mid-wicket.

Kumble cut a finger in the process and was forced to leave the field, which saw Mahendra Dhoni take charge of the team and he immediately brought Sehwag back into the attack.

It proved to be one of several inspired decision made in the field by Dhoni and will increase speculation over the future of Kumble, who has yet to take a wicket in the series.

Sehwag came on and delivered an arm ball that trapped a retreating Hayden in front of his stumps.

Anil Kumble's injury opened the door for Sehwag to bowl 22 overs

At the start of the final session, Sharma was managing to swing the old ball and, in the space of three deliveries, Ponting survived a strong lbw shout and an inside edge that narrowly missed his stumps.

He was in all sorts of problems the following over as Zaheer got one to move and dart off the pitch, beating the batsman but zipping over the stumps.

Once again it was Dhoni's decision to recall Sehwag that paid dividends and this time he claimed the most vital wicket of all.

Ponting had meandered his way to within 13 runs of his 37th Test century when Sehwag sent down a classic off-spinner's delivery that lured the batsman forward with the drift before fizzing back through the gate and into the stumps.

India went in search of late wickets but in Hussey and Clarke they met stubborn resistance.

Boundaries were at a premium but the pair's excellent running between the wickets accounted for a large proportion of their 42-run partnership.

Hussey secured his 50 by tickling Sehwag to fine leg but the new ball soon paid off for India and Sehwag produced a sumptuous delivery that pitched on middle before turning sharply to knock back Hussey's off stump.

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