The second Test between India and Australia was poisedon the knife's edge at the end of the penultimate day's play today after DamienMartyn led a remarkable fightback with a gritty century to leave the home team atarget of 229 to level the series.
After being at the receiving end on the first threedays, Australia changed the complexion of the game as they rode on Martyn'seighth Test century to post 369 in their second innings.
In reply, Virender Sehwag (12) and Yuvraj Singh (7) sawoff the three overs to take India to 19 for no loss at close.
The hosts now have a daunting task at hand to score theremaining 210 runs on a wearing fifth day track at the Chidambaram Stadium.
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Resuming at the overnight score of 150 for four, the 32-year-old Martyn struck aresolute 104 and shared a record 139-run sixth wicket partnership withnightwatchman Jason Gillespie (26) to not only frustrate the hosts but steer theteam to a relatively safe position. The Australian batsmen showed a lot ofcharacter as they countered the two Indian spinners Anil Kumble and HarbhajanSingh quite well to give themselves a chance of taking a 2-0 lead in thefour-match series.
The sixth pair of Martyn and Gillespie tormented thehome team for close to four hours before both of them perished in quicksuccession shortly before the tea break with Harbhajan providing thebreakthrough.
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But Michael Clarke (39 not out) and Darren Lehmann (31)came up with useful knocks to ensure that the visitors had a sizeable lead.
Kumble, who turned 34 today, was again the pick of theIndian bowlers with six wickets for 133 to return a match haul of 13 for 181, aneffort which saw him climb to the seventh position in the list of highest Testwicket-takers. Kumble, who has now 415 wickets, overtook former Pakistan captainWasim Akram (414).
It was Kumble's 26th five-wicket haul and the match haul of 13 for 181 wasthe sixth time he had taken 10 or more wickets. Lehmann became his first victimof the day when he under-pulled a rank bad delivery to be caught behind.
Kumble then had Shane Warne caught at silly point before rapping MichaelKasprowicz on the pads.
Finally, Harbhajan bowled Glenn McGrath to end the Aussie innings.
Clarke remained unbeaten on 39, and his 62-run stand with Lehmann was worthits weight in gold.
Although it came late in the day, Kumble's strikes made sure the Australiantail did not wag too long and the target remained achievable.
But a tailender did frustrate the Indians early in the day. Gillespie battedfor more than four hours and denied them a wicket the whole of morning session.
Gillespie's contribution in his record fifth wicket partnership with Martynwas only 26 but their combined resistance drove the Indians to despair untilHarbhajan struck twice in an over before tea to bring the hosts back into thematch. Rahul Dravid took the catch on both the occasions.
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Martyn eschewed flair as he registered his eighth Test hundred that put theAussies in a healthy situation which seemed distant when captain Adam Gilchrist(49) was dismissed yesterday.
Martyn, whose 104 came from 204 balls, hit 11 fours and a six during his261-minute stay at the crease.
Martyn showed his maturing batsmanship against the slow bowlers as he used the width of the crease and judged the length perfectly to rock back and play his pull shots against both Kumble and Harbhajan.
His resistance meant it was the turn of the Indians to toil under the hot sun. Although the maximum temperature read in the mid-30s outside the stadium, inside it registered well above 40 degrees, making Chepauk a hot furnace.
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But coming as he does from Western Australia, Martyn coped with the Chennai heat well. Two consecutive fours off Harbhajan saw him reach 50 from 111 balls and also cross the 3000-run mark in Tests.
By the 86th over, the Australian lead was worth 100, and the 250 came in the 92nd over.
Martyn then stepped out to Kumble and perched the leg spinner into the fifth tier at long off to reach his century.In the meantime, India's fielding nightmares continued.
Patel conceded five penalty runs after failing to gather Zaheer Khan down the leg and the ball hit the fielder's helmet.
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The youngster also missed a stumping chance to dismiss Gillespie off Kumble while Harbhajan failed to hold on to a return catch of thenightwatchman.
Dravid's two catches then came as a huge boost of confidence for the Indians.
They also gave Harbhajan his 50th wicket against the visitors in seven Tests.
Indians started off their chase confidently with first innings centurion Sehwag hitting three fours off McGrath, two of those came in the last over of the day.
PTI
