Aussies make a good start ...

Matthew Hayden and Phil Jaques have given Australia a sound start - 0-62 - in the long chase after India's mammoth 526 by stumps on day two of the 3 mobile fourth Test at Adelaide Oval.

Hayden (36 not out) and Jaques (21 not out) survived 21 overs, although Jaques, when 12 at 0-34, was fortunate not to be run out after slipping as he backed up too far at the bowler's end.

Indian opening bowler RP Singh delivered only four overs before leaving the field with what was described later as 'a mild hamstring strain'.

Defiant half-centuries from Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh helped extend India's first innings 11 balls beyond a delayed tea interval.

Kumble, the last man out for a heroic 205-ball 87 in a definitive captain's innings, and Harbhajan (63) shared an invaluable stand of 107 in 35 overs, and Kumble found another stubborn ally in No. 11 Ashant Sharma, who contributed 14 not out to a 10th wicket partnership of 58 in 20 overs against the tiring Australian bowlers on a placid pitch in fine, hot conditions.

Seven dropped catches, some very difficult, for the innings compounded the Australians' frustration.

India's innings of just over 11 hours (and 152.5 overs) ended at 4.36pm local time when Adam Gilchrist caught Kumble off Mitchell Johnson, who, statistically at least, took the bowling honours with 4-126 off 37.5 overs.

The catch was Gilchrist's fourth of the innings and put him one ahead of South African Mark Boucher for the most Test dismissals by a wicketkeeper. Gilchrist has 414 (377 catches and 37 stumpings) in 96 Tests, while Boucher has 413 (394 and 19) in 109.

India's highest score in its previous eight Tests at Adelaide Oval was 523 in 2003-04.

The Kumble-Harbhajan stand was India's third-highest for the eighth wicket in 72 Tests against Australia. The only two ahead of it were 129 by Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan in Sydney early this month and 127 by Syed Kirmani and Karsan Ghavri at Mumbai in 1979-80. It also was the highest eighth-wicket stand for India or Australia in their nine Tests at Adelaide Oval.

And the Kumble-Sharma partnership was India's second-highest for the 10th wicket against Australia, behind the 94 scored by Sunil Gavaskar and Shivlal Yadav at Adelaide Oval in 1985-86.

Kumble and Harbhajan came together at 7-359 in the 11th over of the day after Johnson had removed Mahendra Dhoni (16) and Brett Lee had gained the prized wicket of Tendulkar (153).

Matthew Hayden and Phil Jaques have given Australia a sound start - 0-62 - in the long chase after India's mammoth 526 by stumps on day two of the 3 mobile fourth Test at Adelaide Oval.

Hayden (36 not out) and Jaques (21 not out) survived 21 overs, although Jaques, when 12 at 0-34, was fortunate not to be run out after slipping as he backed up too far at the bowler's end.

Indian opening bowler RP Singh delivered only four overs before leaving the field with what was described later as 'a mild hamstring strain'.

Defiant half-centuries from Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh helped extend India's first innings 11 balls beyond a delayed tea interval.

Kumble, the last man out for a heroic 205-ball 87 in a definitive captain's innings, and Harbhajan (63) shared an invaluable stand of 107 in 35 overs, and Kumble found another stubborn ally in No. 11 Ashant Sharma, who contributed 14 not out to a 10th wicket partnership of 58 in 20 overs against the tiring Australian bowlers on a placid pitch in fine, hot conditions.

Seven dropped catches, some very difficult, for the innings compounded the Australians' frustration.

India's innings of just over 11 hours (and 152.5 overs) ended at 4.36pm local time when Adam Gilchrist caught Kumble off Mitchell Johnson, who, statistically at least, took the bowling honours with 4-126 off 37.5 overs.

The catch was Gilchrist's fourth of the innings and put him one ahead of South African Mark Boucher for the most Test dismissals by a wicketkeeper. Gilchrist has 414 (377 catches and 37 stumpings) in 96 Tests, while Boucher has 413 (394 and 19) in 109.

India's highest score in its previous eight Tests at Adelaide Oval was 523 in 2003-04.

The Kumble-Harbhajan stand was India's third-highest for the eighth wicket in 72 Tests against Australia. The only two ahead of it were 129 by Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan in Sydney early this month and 127 by Syed Kirmani and Karsan Ghavri at Mumbai in 1979-80. It also was the highest eighth-wicket stand for India or Australia in their nine Tests at Adelaide Oval.

And the Kumble-Sharma partnership was India's second-highest for the 10th wicket against Australia, behind the 94 scored by Sunil Gavaskar and Shivlal Yadav at Adelaide Oval in 1985-86.

Kumble and Harbhajan came together at 7-359 in the 11th over of the day after Johnson had removed Mahendra Dhoni (16) and Brett Lee had gained the prized wicket of Tendulkar (153).