THIRD TEST, Delhi (day four):
India 613-7d, 38-2 v Australia 577

By Pranav Soneji

606: DEBATE Discuss the day's play on 606 after 0900 BST

1125: So that's day four then. The last hour has left the door ajar for some sort of potential fifth day histronics. India's motives are plain and simple - shut up shop and draw. The Aussies will be loving that mentality, which could leave us an intriguing prospect for play on Sunday. I'll be back at the same bat-time, same bat-channel then. Adios.

CLOSE: INDIA 43-2

1119: India 43-2
Punter tosses the ball to Simon Katich for the last over of the day. What does that say about his faith in his frontline spinner Cameron White? Gambhir glances a single off his pads to give Dravid strike for the remaining four balls of the over. Kato drops short, allowing Dravid to use the depth of his crease to caress the ball through extra cover for four. And the last ball of the over skims down leg side and an interesting day's play comes to an end with Gambhir looking comfortable on 21 and Dravid five not out.

1114: India 38-2
Michael Clarke has a joust with the penultimate over of the day, allowing Gambhir and Dravid singles. The part-time left-armer doesn't get anything close to the turn that Virender Sehwag extracted in the first innings. GG takes a risky single off the last ball to protect his partner, but even if Mitchell Johnson's throw from short fine leg had hit the non-striker's stumps, the left-hander would have been home.

1109: India 35-2
Australia give Gambhir the easiest of singles off the first ball of Lee's sixth over, but immediately swarm around Rahul Dravid, sensing some vulnerability after the blow to the wrist from the previous over. Dravid, as solid as 10 tonnes of lead, gets his body behind the ball and fends off the remaining five deliveries.

1051: India 27-0
Even with 577 on the board Punter opts for a safety first approach with just one slip and men spread on the deep cover and mid-wicket boundaries to Stuart Clark, which all makes for super-dull cricket. Singles galore for Sehwag and Gambhir. Apologies for the lack of faith from your faithful correspondent, but he is currently contemplating the merit of a fifth day in this most obvious of draws. Especially as he has to crawl out of bed at some obscene hour on Sunday morning.

1047: India 24-0
Binga Lee opts to go around the wicket to Gambhir, but the left-hander is pegged back by a nagging line outside off stump. Lee offers some width with his final ball, but the left-hander hits his square drive straight at Michael Clarke at a deepish point.

1042: India 24-0
Clark opts to go around the wicket to Sehwag, employing a few short deliveries to test the opener's resolve with the bouncer. Sehwag nonchalantly hops on his back foot and sends the ball down to fine leg with a neat paddle. Clark maintains his line and beats Gambhir with a good ball outside off stump, although the first-innings double centurion flicks three off his hip to nick the strike for the next over.

1037: India 20-0
A neat flick off the hip earns Gambhir two more runs, while Sehwag collects a single with a well-judged run off Brett Lee. So far, nothing to alarm the Indian opening duo.

"Sehwag is not the first (to score two double tons and take five wickets in a Test innings) as you said. Gary Sobers scored two test double hundreds and took five or more wickets on six occasions."
Turret via the TMS inbox

You're absolutely spot on Turret, I actually meant two triple tons. Even Sir Garfield couldn't manage that, which just goes to show how impressive Sehwag's achievement is.

1032: India 17-0
Much better second over from Clark, who goes around the wicket to Gambhir and probes on and around his off stump for a maiden over.

1028: India 17-0
Gautam Gambhir calls for the diciest of singles straight to the left hand of Michael Clarke, but the centurion is well wide with his shy at the stumps. Had he rattled the stumps, Gambhir would have been at least three feet out of his ground. Lee has a useful shout for lbw turned down by umpire Aleem Dar, replays suggest it was angling past leg stump. But definitely worth a shout.

1024: India 16-0
WALLOP! Stuart Clark drops short and wide outside off stump to Virender Sehwag, who absolutely murders the ball through the gap between cover and point for four. He attempts a similar shot the next ball, but finds he has no width on offer and opts for a straight bat shot. However, a crunching square drive squirts through the diving save of Michael Hussey at backward point to the boundary. This man only knows how to bat one way.

1019: India 7-0
Some early wobble for Brett Lee, but his radar is off as Gautam Gambhir flicks a glance off his toes for four, before another clip earns him another run. A gentle push from Sehwag races through the covers for two, although he might have been in trouble had Michael Clarke's throw-on-the-turn been a little more purposeful. Lee almost traps him lbw with an identical ball from the first innings, but Sehwag just about gets his mighty willow on leather.

1014: Out come India opener Gautam Gambhir and Virender "I've got five wickets, me" Sehwag. Interestingly, Sehwag is the only cricketer in Test match history to have scored two triple tons and take a five-wicket haul.

AUSTRALIA 577 ALL OUT

0952: Australia 567-8
A fine edge off Mitchell Johnson's bat squirts away for three and Mishra looks utterly nonplussed. Kumble maintains his around the wicket ploy to Johnson, who lobs an aerial drive over the India captain's head for three. Even though he has been in for donkey's years, Clarke has to take his bottom hand off a sharp and rising Kumble delivery, which he plays very well.

"The prospect of tonight's play fills me with as much excitement as the day after Boxing Day's turkey."
Carole, trying to resist starting the glossing, in Maidenhead

0935: Australia 555-7
Dreamy leg-breaks from Mishra, who twice beats the edge of Lee's bat with the perfect delivery pitching on middle and leg and missing off, although he concedes his fourth front-foot no-ball, which is quite frankly inexcusable for a slow bowler. Clarke has another dice with fate when he fends a bouncing Kumble delivery outside off stump past VVS Laxman at second slip., collecting a further three runs to his tally. The Indian captain has a very useful looking lbw shout turned down by Billy Bowden, who indicates there was bat before the pad. But replays suggest the contrary, although it's a tough one with bat so close to pad. There was definitely willow, but after contact with the pad.

0928: Australia 550-7
Lovely flighty, twirly leggie from Mishra lures Lee into a very uppish drive, but fortunately for Binga, the ball dissects two fielders and drops to safety in the covers. Amit Mishra shrieks like a banshee, one octave higher and he would probably have shattered glass in Indonesia. Kumble oversteps as he searches for that extra zip off the pitch as Lee dangerously fends off the back foot. A Clarke single brings up the 550.

0922: Australia 548-7
What two words am I thinking? Here are a few clues. Ishant Sharma's done it, VVS Laxman has done it and Amit Mishra has done it. Yes it's dropped catch. Actually, that's a tad harsh on Sachin Tendulkar, who makes a superb attempt to cling on to a firmly struck Brett Lee drive off Mishra at short mid-on. "Jumbo" Kumble - so called after his 10-wicket haul in 1999 against Pakistan on this very ground, where his deliveries were taking off like a jumbo jet - bowls his best ball of the day, a vicious, spinning leg break which pitches on middle and fizzes past the outside edge of Brett Lee's bat. But no joy for the India skipper.

"Pranav, am I the only one to be finding this match of nearly 1200 runs a tad boring?"
Carole, about to start glossing the woodwork, in Maidenhead

I hear you sister, although I'm not sure we're going to see any more entertainment in Antigua this evening, judging by the matches we've seen this past week.

0916: Australia 545-7
It's all a bit staid to be honest, the spinners are going through the motions while the New South Welsh pair of Lee and Clarke chunter along without too much stress. Amit Mishra rattles the stumps with a direct hit from a quick single and umpire Billy Bowden signals for the third umpire, but Clarke is almost a foot inside his ground.

"I'm going skiing in Indian Kashmir in January - what language will they speak there and will the local people be into their cricket?"
Swiss Tony, Cape Town

Now that's my kinda holiday. The Kashmiris, funnily enough, speak Kashmiri. Try travelling anywhere in India and finding an area not into cricket. Like trying to find a pavement in Paris not littered with poodle poo.

0910: Australia 540-7
Anil Kumble resumes the attack after a spot of cha as Brett Lee thrusts his front pad out to guide a well-placed drive to mid-off. It's fair to say the prospects of a positive result from this match are as slim as a supermodel's waistline.

"At this rate I think you may be able to argue for lie in tomorrow, Pranav. Just do some stuff in advance, including phrases like 'inexorably towards draw', 'stalwart resistance' 'another dropped catch' and 'hopes that Australia are now a very poor team in advance of the Ashes have been well and truly dashed', then ask the nightwatchman to post them at five minute intervals. Come in at 9am and tidy up and you'll be fine. We'll cover for you."
Paul in Lancs

Don't forget "you can never write off the Aussies", "Ponting's got a face like a bulldog chewing a wasp" and my all-time favourite "they've come here to see Sachin bat".

"Hello and greetings from chilly Almaty in Kazakhstan! Thanks for the great coverage! What is the record for the highest number of dropped catches in either an innings or a Test Match? Does anybody know (or care)? I know it is a batting track but still!!"
Patrick Donovan via the TMS inbox

I really have no idea Patrick, my army of minions have gone on strike and my will to live is slowly receding. Anyone else care to enlighten us all?

TEA: AUSTRALIA 539-7

0838: Australia 535-7
Paul below, I love those kind of inane "facts" that Hungarians and Finns can understand each other speaking their mother tongues. I also heard Korean was part of the Finn-Hungo school of lingo, which frankly seems absurd to me. Having never heard or spoken to an Oriyan, I have absolutely no idea whether I would understand them or not. Any Gujaratis confirm that the language sounds nothing like Oriyan? Kannada speaker Anil Kumble tosses up a few flighty leg breaks which Brett Lee bats away with a nice straight bat. Tea is just around the corner, but we have enough time for one more over of tweak.

0828: Australia 529-6
There's more than a whiff of desperation in the Indian body language after the double dropped-catch whammy. Anil Kumble floats up a lovely wrong-un which White fails to pick, but the stunted and deflated lbw appeal tells us everything about the Indian spirits.

"Talking of Indian states, I'm intrigued by the extent to which the Indo-Aryan languages are or at not in fact mutually comprehensible. Could a Gujurati speaker, for example, actually get by in conversation with an Oriya speaker, if both spoke there own language, or would that be a stretch too far - a bit like the myth that Finns understand Hungarian because of the linguistic root, whereas in fact they'd just look at each other blankly?"
Paul in Lancs

0824: Australia 529-6
This is quite frankly embarrassing now - Amit Mishra has just grassed Michael Clarke from another sweep shot off Sehwag. The leg-spinner, fielding at deep mid-wicket, hardly has to move and the ball goes in, goes out of the hands. Even Michael Clarke apologises to Viru. It's Indian fielding back to its nadir once again.

0821: Australia 527-6
"Jumbo" Kumble continues, although he should be bowling to Brett Lee rather than Michael Clarke, who nurdles a single. White is belligerent and bats out the rest of the over.

0818: Australia 526-6
Anyone seen that unbelievable dropped catch from Andrew Strauss in the Middlesex v England match in Antigua? We've just something just as bad as birthday boy VVS Laxman drops an absolute sitter at mid-wicket. Clarke top-edges a skier attempting to sweep Sehwag, VVS only has a few yards to wander to his right but somehow contrives to catch something Geoff Boycott would probably suggest could have been snaffled in his "mum's pinny". Awful, especially with Clarke all set for a return to the pavilion. Clarke continues to sweep, collecting more runs to move five short of another Test ton.

0814: Australia 521-6
Oh dear, Ishant Sharma is slowly losing it. He serves up a wide half volley for White to marmalise through cover before pushing a very wide inswinger way down leg side, past the diving left glove of Dhoni for five wides. And another leg-side delivery is helped around the corner for another boundary from White, who moves on to 41.

0808: Australia 508-6
Virender Sehwag is back and once again he's tossing the ball up, inviting Michael Clarke to sweep and smash the ball straight into Gautam Gambhir's shoulder at short leg as he attempts to take evasive action. Ouch. "Wear that sunshine", Clarkey might say.

0805: Australia 507-6
Cameron White has a wild slash outside off stump, but all he displaces are millions of miniscule air particles as the ball thuds into the gloves of Dhoni as Sharma ruefully watches on. Cameron opts for the more judicious nurdle and collects a single to add to the earlier run from Michael Clarke.

"On a similar theme (see 0749), I've been told that one of the reasons Dave Hussey moved to Victoria from Western Australia was because the WA selectors kept viewing his Grade A runs as coming from Mike, and therefore passing over him for selection. Dave's frustrations led him to move state, where he could be recognised on his own."
Steve, Yorkshire

0800: Australia 505-6
Cameron White pulls out the big guns with a lovely lofted drive straight back over Anil Kumble's head for a maximum, even the crowd loved that one. Not a bad way to bring up the 500.

0756: Australia 498-6
On comes Ishant Sharma for a joust, only to see Clarke move on to 88 with a single and a double. More lazy fielding from India hands Cameron White the opportunity to double up on what should have only been a single through mid-wicket. The leg-spinner picks up two more when he finally unleashes his first proper attacking stroke to a short and wide delivery outside off stump, although he would have had four had Sachin Tendulkar not made a fine diving stop to his right to prevent the boundary.

0749: Australia 491-6
Five more runs are added to the total, four of which come from leg byes as Kumble strays on leg and the pad of Michael Clarke assists the ball to the boundary.

"Can you explain to me why every player on the scorecard - both Indian and Aussie - are referred to by their family names ie Tendulkar, Sehwag, Ponting etc except Hussey, who is referred to as M Hussey? Seems rather strange as there is no other hussey to distinguish between."
Frank, Singapore

Good point Frank. The M is to distinguish Mike from his brother David, who has also featured for Australia in one-day matches, although the former Nottinghamshire batsman is not on this tour. I heard a funny urban myth-type story about David, who was snapped up by Kolkata Knightriders for $625,000, while brother Mike was picked up for the bargain price of $350,000 by Chennai in the Indian Premier League auction earlier this year. Turned out Kolkata's team bid for the wrong Hussey. Bit like the famous AC Milan story about signing Luther Blissett when they actually meant to buy John Barnes during the Watford halycon days.

0742: Australia 486-6
Good over from Kumble, who just sees a potential return catch from Cameron White drop just before him in his follow through. He tosses up an inviting googly, but White - a Twenty20 axeman of the highest order - eschews the opportunity to fill his boots with a well-versed forward defensive. Mishy continues with the dull leg-stump line to Clarke, his third ball is floated up and Clarke clips off his toes for two to deep mid-wicket. He goes over the wicket to Cameron White, who watchfully lets the ball turn into Dhoni's gloves. "Let's have a drink, ay?" says umpire Bully Bowdun in his nasally Kiwi accent.

0735: Australia 481-6
Kumble mixes up his variations, the leggies, the offies, the flatter, faster deliveries but nothing can penetrate Clarke's resolve. The last ball of the over allows Clarke to free his arms to drive out to the man on the deep on the offside. With little reward for his graft, Amit Mishra opts to around the wicket, handing Michael Clarke the opportunity to thrust his front pad out with impunity as almost every delivery pitches outside leg stump. It's the kind of tactic that makes you want to chew your monitor cable in frustration . I still remember Ashley Giles' bowling everything wide of Sachin Tendulkar's leg stump in the third Test in Bangalore in 2002. Sachin was so bored he charged down the track, only to see James Foster whipping off the bails as he was set for another ton. Still, Gilo is the only bowler to have Tendulkar stumped in Test cricket.

0728: Australia 480-6
More twirly wiles from Kumble, who concedes a single from his over without little malice. Mishra finds the edge of Cameron White's chunky bat on two successive occasions, but the ball rolls along the carpet to Rahul Dravid, who makes two smart saves to conserve the runs.

"Some names for Indians (0705):
Gujarati - Gujju
Keralite - Mallu
Bengali - Bong
Panjabi - Panju
South Indian (whether from Chennai or not) - Madrasi (considered rude by South Indians)
North India - Bhaiyya (considered rude by north Indians)"
Gary Hukkeri, Bangalore

0721: Australia 479-6
Cameron White - a man who can bludgeon like an angry butcher - is playing a very straight innings, dabbing singles to give his recognised partner the strike whenever an opportunity presents itself. The pair collect six runs off Anil Kumble with a mixture of leg-side pushes off the pads or open-faced prods. Mishy concedes a few more singles in his 37th over.

0715: Australia 470-6
Amit Mishra comes on for a bit of leg tweak, but his second ball is hit high over the head of Anil Kumble at a deepish mid-on, so Mishra's strangled cry of "CATCHITANILBHAAAAAI" is slightly misguided. Clarke moves on to 76 with a flick off his pads for a single.

"Didn't the EU try to ban the banana benders?"
Scott via the TMS inbox

0713: Australia 465-6
White pushes a sharp Kumble delivery down through slip for four runs along the carpet, taking him to 15. His highest Test score is 18 (it's only his third Test match to be fair). It's also only the fourth time in Australia's top-five batsmen have scored 50s in a Test. Eat that stat fans.

0708: Australia 460-6
Sehwag gets yet another to take off like a Harrier jump jet as Cameron White plays for the spin, only to find the ball going straight on over his shoulder and the head of Dhoni for four byes. the Indian vice-captain who really has kept brilliantly in this innings. I always thought he was untidy behind the stumps, but I have most definitely revised my opinion in this series.

0705: Australia 454-6
Zaheer is mixing up his reverse swing from around the wicket, but Michael Clarke is playing him well, getting inside the line of a stray delivery outside leg stump to help the ball around the corner for a fine leg glance for four.

"This is from the State Library of South Australia website: 'An origin of the term "crow eater" is explored in the Register, 6 February 1925, page 13e:
'[It] was first applied to some of the original settlers at Mount Barker who - whether from necessity or a desire to sample strange native fauna - killed, cooked and ate some crows disguised under the term "Mount Barker pheasants"... Later the term... was applied generally to all.'"
Colin in Tokyo via the TMS inbox

Top chat Colin, who also provides more potential explanations but quite frankly one is enough. Do Indians have the same for their different states? As a Gujarati in the UK, we're known as "Gujjis", although whether this is PC or not I have no idea. Any Punjabis, Maharastrans, Uttar Pradeshians or Tamil Naduans have any chat?

0700: Australia 448-6
"Shabbash Viruuuuuuu!" shouts wicketkeeper Dhoni as Cameron White misses a sweep shot from outside off stump. The last ball of his over sees a huge puff of dust explode off the pitch as it spits towards Cameron White's gloves, but the Aussie leg-spinner plays the ball well, taking his bottom hand off the bat to steer the ball down through the slips for a single. And Anil Kumble is running off the pitch for more attention on his gammy finger. On comes Subramaniam Badrinath.

0656: Australia 445-6
Lots of encouragement for Zaheer, who not exactly getting banana-type reverse, but enough curve to trouble both batsmen. The left-armer opts for a different angle around the wicket to Clarke, who opens the face of the bat and runs the last ball of the over to point for a single.

0650: Australia 443-6
Virender Sehwag cruises in for his 33rd over - not bad for a part-time bowler. But nothing too extravagant from his opening over after the interval as Clarke and White pick up simple singles.

"Queenslanders are known as Banana benders (see 0544), South Australians are Crow Eaters. People from Northern Territory, Victoria and Tasmania are not so exotic, being known as Territorians, Vics and Taswegians. Hard to beat a good Sandgroper though."
Fles from Adelaide

Banana Benders, I knew I had heard that before. So what's the deal with Crow Eaters? Have Dizzy Gillespie and Boofa Lehmann tucked in to a bit of bird at tea? Anyone ever eaten crow? Fles? Surely not?

0646: Australia 441-6
Zaheer attempts an inswinging yorker, but instead floats up a juicy full toss on leg stump and Cameron White tucks in with a simple leg glance to the mid-on boundary. Like on Friday, Zaheer is covering the ball in his right hand so the batsman has no clue which way the ball is going to move in the air. He serves up two outswingers outside off stump, but the Victorian leaves both deliveries alone.

0641: We're back out and Zaheer Khan is gonna take the first over after lunch.

LUNCH: AUSTRALIA 436-6

0603: Australia 436-6
Apologies. It's Cameron White, not Brett Lee, at the crease. And the Victorian bats out Virender Sehwag's over without too many headlines. Just enough time to squeeze another over out. Kumble ambles in and sees Clarke squeeze a single down to fine leg. A flipper flicks White's pad and races down for four leg byes, while a lovely fluent drive down the ground sees the Victorian open his account with a boundary. Interesting session, 98 runs scored with two wickets lost. See you back here in 40 minutes.

0555: Australia 426-6
Virender Sehwag comes close to his first ever five wicket haul as Michael Clarke prods a bat/pad chance just short of Gautam Gambhir at short leg. What a handful the shiny-headed opener is proving to be right now. Meanwhile, Anil "Jumbo" Kumble probes Cameron White with a series of deliveries on off stump. Kumble uses the width of his crease for variation, but Lee is all straight bats in defence.

"If people from New South Wales are Welshmen, can we have a few for our rugby team?"
Guy via the TMS inbox

I can certainly think of one - Brent Cockbain. Any others?

0544: Australia 424-5
Kumble is desperately looking for some grip off the pitch, but apart from one ball from a few overs ago, absolutely nothing is turning for him as he leaks two runs from his 23rd over. His opening batsman is getting plenty of grip and Sehwag almost does Haddin over like Watson, but the wicketkeeper just about manages to get willow on the ball to avert having his stumps rearranged.

"A person from NSW is a New South Welshman (see 0508), hopefully Pup and Haddin can't build a solid partnership and put us in a decent position."
Jesse, Melbourne, Australia

As a Victorian, you're also a Mexican, because you come from south of the border, correct? Justin Langer is a sandgroper as a Western Australian. So what about Queenslanders, Tasmanians and Northern Territorians?

0538: Australia 421-5
Haddin collapses on one knee and absolutely smashes a slog sweep off Sehwag into the stands over mid-wicket for six. Haddin looks too much like Ian Healy to me, Aussie wicketkeepers should not be allowed to look like each other. Mind you, Marcus Trescothick often used to get mistaken for Ashley Giles.

0534: Australia 415-5
Absolute crackerjack delivery from Kumble, who beats the edge of Clarke's bat outside off stump with a belter of a leggie, probably the first delivery of the day he has managed to turn. Wonder how much the pitch at the Stanford Cricket Ground is going turn tonight in Antigua?

0532: Australia 415-5
A fluent sweep from Clarke off Sehwag allows Australia to match the follow-on target. And they go past the 413 mark with an inside edge from Haddin, who attempts to smear the ball through cover but manages to squirt it through mid-wicket with a thick inside edge. Viru goes around the wicket and has a very confident appeal against Clarke for leg before turned down by Aleem Dar. The Aussie vice-captain attempts to sweep a full delivery on line with his stumps, but the Pakistani official deems the ball would have missed off stump. A good decision too.

0528: Australia 412-5
Haddin thumps Sehwag straight back over his head for four, not a bad way to get off the mark He runs down three more past Rahul Dravid at first slip with a less confident shot. Kumble, in contrast to his part-time off-spinner, is looking a little toothless. Nothing is biting and he isn't getting any of his usual bounce. Still, maiden over.

0514: Australia 399-4
Lovely lines from Viru S, getting the ball to turn around off stump. Clarke attempts a sweep, but doesn't lay bat on ball and a leg bye is the only product from that over. Anil Kumble zips a ball through at 67mph to Clarke just to keep Pup on his toes in the following over. Still nothing to worry either Aussie from the Indian captain.

0508: Australia 398-4
Anil Kumble's back - and he's straight into the action after the drinks break. Kumble's little finger has more protection than P Diddy, don't think he'll be busting a gut to get his hands to too many catches. He drops a rank long-hop for Clarke to smear through point, but nifty footwork from Zaheer Khan in the deep ensures the New South Walesman (Welshman?) earns two for his efforts, along with a single down to fine leg.

0500: Australia 395-4
Watson opts to shoulder arms to a Sehwag ball outside off stump, only to see the thing rear back sharply into the gloves of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Bet he won't be doing that again. Another maiden.

0458: Australia 395-4
Nice lines from Ishant, who sees his last ball squeezed out to the vacant third man area from Michael Clarke. The Aussie vice-captain was feeling for the ball in front of his pad, so a moral(ish) victory for the bowler. Pup moves on to 44.

"As I am 6 foot 10 inches tall I am sure the mobile phone menace (see 0356) would have been picking Nokia's finest from his teeth if he sneered at me!"
Mark from Hinton

0453: Australia 391-4
On comes Virender Sehwag for his first tweak of the day and he's absolutely spot on with his first six balls, although not too much turn as yet. Maiden over.

0450: Australia 391-4
Clever play from Watson, who opens the face of the bat and runs down two successive Sharma deliveries to the vacant third man area for boundaries, forcing acting captain Dhoni to plug the hole. The third ball also goes the same way, this time off a genuine outside edge. More encouragingly for Sharma - and quite frankly he needs as much as he can get this morning after a dropped catch - there is some nice inswing with the last delivery of the over. We've had 11 overs and the Aussies have collected 53 runs. You'd be happy with that in a one-day game.

0445: Australia 382-4
Oh dear. Mishra drops short again and Michael Clarke's eyes light up like an Emo teenager at a My Chemical Romance gig, smashing the leg-spinner over mid-wicket for a maximum. You can almost hear Mishra's trousers flapping in the wind, the Feroz Kotla ground is pretty quiet right now.

0440: Australia 376-4
Ishant Sharma, desperate to make amends for his dropped catch off Mishra in the second over, comes on for his first over, but he strays down leg and Clarke clips three runs off his hip, although his partner has to but the burners on to make his ground because of a brilliant throw from the deep from Zaheer. And Watson moves on to 27 with yet another boundary through the gully area to third man. The boundary also brings up the fifth-wicket 50 partnership.

0435: Australia 369-4
Gautam Gambhir takes evasive action as Shane Watson uses the depth of his crease to get on the back foot to smother a short Mishra delivery over mid-wicket for four. Alaskan crab fishermen apparently have the most dangerous job in the world. Fielding at short leg when your leg-spinner drops short is possibly not too far behind.

0431: Australia 364-4
It's all going Australia's way so far as Zaheer tempts Watson into a drive outside off stump, which the Queenslander duly does - only to see a thick outside edge squirt through the vacant fifth slipish area to the third man boundary for four.

0426: Australia 359-4
Watson has four fielders around the bat, two slips and a short leg and silly point as Mishra rips his leggies in and around middle and off, but not a sniff on offer as he snuffs out six deliveries with a straight bat and soft hands.

"I'm having the same problem in Bogota airport (see 0356). About 800 decibels of inane chat."
Joe, Bogota airport

0423: Australia 359-4
No real early swing for Zaheer, who gets turned away for two singles. He really should have been bowling at Brad Haddin though, poor Ishant Sharma, there's no way he can hide in the field with a barnet you can see from Mars.

0418: Australia 357-4
Michael Clarke skips down the pitch and attempts to hit Mishra down the track, only to see his lofted drive sail straight towards Ishant Sharma. But the tall fast bowler makes a right mess of his catch and grasses what really should have been a regulation take. And what's worse the Aussies take two runs before Clarke dances down the pitch again and turns a well-flighted Mishra delivery into a full toss for three runs through mid-wicket. A potential turning point? We'll see.

0415: Australia 348-4
Lovely bowling from Zaheer Khan, who forces a play and a miss outside off stump with a ball which leaves the outside edge. However, the left-arm seamer is given his first warning for running on the wicket by Billy Bowden.

0410: Australia 348-4
Amit Mishra continues and the diminutive leggie ambles through a maiden to Watson - of which the last ball turns almost square outside off stump. Interesting. Worth noting that Anil Kumble needed 10 stitches on his left-hand injury, a well as a visit to hospital and is off the field this morning, so 12th man Subramaniam Badrinath takes his place.

0405: Australia 348-4
Zaheer drops short with his second delivery of the morning, much to Shane Watson's delight as the all-rounder transfers his weight onto his back foot to crunch the ball through square leg for a thoroughly confident pull shot for four from a no ball. He tries the same again a few balls later, only to top edge the ball way over the heads of the two-man slip cordon, down to the third man boundary for four.

0401: The players are out - we're set to go and Zaheer Khan will bowl the first over of the day.

0356: I was in the middle of a Gautam Gambhir/Shane Watson ding-dong yesterday on my way home. A gentleman sat opposite me was doing a Dom Jolly talking rather loudly on his mobile phone on the tube, much to the chagrin of the couple next to him, who were blissfully reading their newspapers until this fella gets on. They can't concentrate with this fella talking about all sorts of nonsense so one of them says "can you keep it down?" To which the man on the phone sneers back, indicating he didn't really give two hoots to what they thought. I said nervously waiting for my stop to hurry up. Moral dilemma - would you do what one half of the couple did or sit tight and grit your teeth? Email me via the TMS inbox - and don't forget TEXT 81111 and 606 (open after 0900)

0347: G'day team cricket, day four - more thrills than a rollercoaster sandwich? More spills than a wobbly waiter? I bloomin' well hope so. Michael Clarke and Shane Watson will take up the challenge at the Feroz Kotla Stadium, while the tweaky wiles of Virendher Sehwag and Amit Mishra will be attempting to undue the middle order duo.

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