NAGPUR, India, 29 October 2004 — Jason Gillespie captured five for 56 and Simon Katich scored 99 to put Australia on course for their first series win in India since 1969 on the third day of the third Test yesterday.
Australia, who scored 398 in their first innings, decided not to enforce the followon despite bowling India out for a meager 185 on a green pitch offering sharp seam movement.
The visitors extended their lead to 415 when they finished the day on 202 for three after Katich was lbw one short of what would have been his second Test match century.
Australia lead the four-Test series 1-0.
“We’re in a pretty strong position and hopefully we can go on and complete the job,” Gillespie told reporters. “We’ll just keep batting and see how it goes.”
India, 146 for five overnight, added only 39 in 70 minutes during the morning as wickets tumbled.
Wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel, who has struggled behind the stumps but had a good series with the bat, got the hosts away with a pulled four off leg spinner Shane Warne.
But he was out for 20 off the next ball, caught at slip while pushing at a flighted ball that drifted in.
Gillespie used the second new ball to send back Ajit Agarkar for 15, which included two edged fours through slips.
Mohammad Kaif brought up his 50 with an on-driven three off Michael Kasprowicz. It was his second consecutive test half-century following a career-best 64 in Madras.
Glenn McGrath, playing his 100th Test, had Kaif caught at slip during an excellent over that highlighted his trademark nagging line outside off-stump.
Gillespie then dismissed Murali Kartik (3) before ending the Indian innings by bowling Zaheer Khan for no score to record his eighth career five-wicket haul in his 57th match.
“I’m pretty happy with my performance.
The beauty of this Australian side is that it doesn’t matter who gets the wickets as long as we get them,” Gillespie said.
He took his wickets tally to 218, crossing Clarrie Grimmett to move to eighth place on the all-time Australian list.
Openers Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer got the Australian second innings off to a sedate start with Khan and Agarkar bowling at a lively pace.
The India pacemen were particularly impressive after lunch, swinging and seaming the ball both ways as Australia, who normally score at around four runs an over, failed to get a run for 35 minutes.
But their only immediate reward was the wicket of Hayden (9), Khan uprooting his middle-stump with a vicious in-cutter.
Left-hander Katich finally broke the shackles once the pressure eased after Anil Kumble and Sachin Tendulkar came into the attack, scoring freely to raise his sixth Test half-century off 91 balls with his ninth four.
Left-arm spinner Murali Kartik dismissed Langer (30) and then trapped Katich with a big turner.
