India are well and truly with their backs to the wall at the end of the third day of the third Test against Australia in Melbourne.
After the loss at Adelaide, Steve Waugh had asked his team to revive memories of Kolkata 2001 and stage a comeback in the series. It's time now for the Indian time to do the same.
At close of play, India were 27 for the loss of two wickets, with Rahul Dravid and skipper Sourav Ganguly unbeaten on six each.
Earlier, Australia, buoyed by a brilliant 257 from Ricky Ponting, ended their first innings on 558, a healthy lead of 192 runs on a pitch that is starting to be a little uncertain.
Morning session
The Indians bowled well to restrict Australia to just 79 runs in the session for the wicket of Damien Martyn to prevent the hosts from running away with the match. But the attitude of the Australians also showed that they were keen to not repeat the mistake the Indians had made last morning.
The Indians started off with Anil Kumble, who continued bowling as well as he did last evening. Ponting charged at the leg-spinner a few times in an attempt to disturb his rhythm, but then settled down to play sedately.
When Ponting was on 134, a genuine edge off Ashish Nehra beat wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel and first slip Rahul Dravid. The ball just eluded a diving Patel and bounced in front of Dravid.
Ponting did not look too comfortable all morning, pushing and prodding at deliveries where yesterday he had stroked them with ease.
Ganguly took the new ball after 83 overs and the Indian pacemen got it to swing a little. The Aussies were tentative, and rightly so. The bowlers stuck to a good line and length and gave very few gift balls.
The pitch was starting to come into its own too. Cracks were opening up and the bounce was variable.
Damien Martyn was troubled outside his off-stump by Ajit Agarkar, who kept bowling a consistent line. The Mumbai speedster was finally rewarded for his efforts when Martyn tried to play through the offside and got a thin edge to Patel, who made no mistake.
The partnership for the fourth wicket was worth 78 runs and guided Australia to a position of strength.
Skipper Waugh walked in next to a standing ovation, but was sent back almost immediately, retired hurt. A short delivery from Agarkar hit him on the elbow, as he ducked and turned his face away from the ball. Waugh flexed and checked his elbow, which began to swell. He returned to the pavilion on the physiotherapist's advice. The crowd that had cheered him just a few minutes back cheered again. An ice pack was applied to the elbow to bring down the swelling.
But Ponting, at the other end, had started to find his touch again and a few well-driven boundaries indicated that the Aussie innings was far from over.
Simon Katich replaced Waugh and survived as the Indian bowlers stuck to a plan.
At lunch, Ricky Ponting, 162, and Simon Katich, 10, were at the crease as Australia reached 396-4.
Post-lunch session
Ponting continued to hold firm and the rest of the batsmen built the innings around him. But it was not your normal Australian innings. The mood was subdued and the run rate in the session dropped below three.
Ponting seemed to have settled down to play a long innings, which was the need of the hour as the hosts looked to build a huge first innings lead. They will not want to bat again on a deteriorating surface with Kumble breathing down their necks.
Ponting played his role to perfection and so did Katich. Together they realised 64 runs. As a partnership, it was not huge, nor was it very pleasing to the eye, but it did the job. It kept the Indians at bay and increased the lead.
Ponting's knock was a gem. Seemingly unfazed by anything the bowlers could throw at him, he has cast aside his doubts and emerged as arguably the world's best batsman at present.
Only four cricketers before today had scored back-to-back double hundreds in Test cricket -- Walter Hammond, Donald Bradman, Vinod Kambli and Graeme Smith. Today, Ponting joined this elite list.
The difference between the two innings was starling. At Adelaide, Ponting was at his devastating best, smashing everything with aplomb. Here in Melbourne, he was much more circumspect and shouldered the responsibility of leading his side to a very strong position.
Kumble's spell was superb. He gamely plugged away at one end, never tiring, never giving the Aussies a loose ball. In fact, the entire Indian bowling effort was commendable. They had a plan in mind and they kept the runs down.
Kumble gave India the much-needed breakthrough when Katich pushed forward to a delivery from the leg-spinner. The ball took the edge, went on to the pad, and bounced high towards short-leg where Akash Chopra took a good catch.
In the very same over, Waugh, who returned to the crease, should have been heading back to the pavilion. The Australian skipper failed to read a googly and shouldered arms to a ball that would have hit the off-stump, but umpire David Shepherd of England turned down the vociferous appeal.
This was the first of two decisions that went against the Indians today. In the penultimate over before tea, Sachin Tendulkar, bowling his first over of the session, sent down a superb googly. The delivery caught Waugh, offering no shot again, plumb in front. Again the umpire, this time New Zealander Billy Bowden, ruled in Waugh's favour. Makes one wonder how much of a difference reputations make to umpires.
In the midst of this drama, Ponting hit some classy shots. The Indians were in trouble and they knew it. The bowling had been good, but on a pitch that was still pretty good for batting, they lacked penetration.
Australia went in to tea at 480-5, with Ponting on 212 and Waugh on 12.
Post-tea session
The final session was memorable for three reasons: Ponting's 257, Kumble's gritty bowling, and Ganguly's courageous decision to bat ahead of Tendulkar in fading light against a hostile Australian new-ball attack that had already snared two quick wickets.
India claimed five wickets in the session to restrict the Australian lead to 192 runs.
Kumble pegged away at one end, bowling unchanged for a long period. He finally got his reward when he trapped Waugh leg-before wicket. Waugh had been lucky to survive a similar appeal on nought and one wonders what made umpire Sherperd rule him out this time because there was virtually no difference between the two appeals. The Australian skipper scored only 19 runs, but put on 63 with his deputy.
Thereafter, wickets fell at regular intervals without the Aussies really getting away. Ponting tried to farm the strike as much as possible, but the next to go was Brett Lee, dismissed after putting on 33 runs with Ponting.
Kumble, who was bowling googlies at this point, had Lee pushing forward. The ball went off the bat on to the pad and Laxman, at silly point, made no mistake with the simple catch.
Tendulkar dismissed Nathan Bracken, caught and bowled with a full toss that seemed to dip late at the tall medium-pacer. Australia were 524 for 8 at this stage.
Though the Indians toiled manfully, luck was just not with them. For one, there have been several decisions in this game already that could well have gone India's way another day. And, to make matters worse, Kumble bowled Brad Williams off a no-ball. It was Kumble's 50th over of the innings. A tired man striving for that bit extra, he overstepped, and his quarry escaped.
In the same over, however, the veteran leggie brought Ponting's marathon to an end. Ponting had looked in great touch and it was only the fall of wickets at the other end that forced him to try and score more quickly than he would have liked.
It was the last ball of the over and Ponting was looking to get the strike or hit the ball for maximum. He charged down the track, but missed the ball completely and had no chance of making his ground as Patel made no mistake with the easy stumping.
Ponting's magnificent innings included 25 fours. It was his third double century of the year and if he does not have to bat again, he will end the year with a batting average in excess of 98.
Agarkar was brought in to wrap up the tail and he obliged, trapping Stuart MacGill plumb in front. The Australian innings folded on 558. Williams, 10, remained not out.
India's second innings
The start of the Indian innings was never going to easy. With only 11 overs to go in the day's play and the 33,000 plus Melbourne crowd baying for blood, they knew the Aussie bowlers would be right at their throats.
As openers Akash Chopra and Virender Sehwag walked out to bat, every Indian fan must have hoped for a repeat of the first innings when they put on 141 runs for the first wicket.
But it was not to be. Chopra was dismissed in the second over of the innings, declared out caught behind off left-arm seamer Bracken when the bat had missed the ball completely and struck the pad (5-1). Chopra couldn't believe his eyes when he saw 'Shep' raise the dread finger, but eventually he dragged himself off the field.
Sehwag's dismissal was a shocker, but typical of a batsman who holds nothing back. After his brilliant 195 in the first innings, his confidence was high and he went for his shots, but then he chipped a ball from Lee off his legs to mid-wicket where the burly Williams took a brilliant diving catch.
Tendulkar has had a horrid run of form in Australia so far and to send him out with just 6.1 overs to negotiate would have been fraught with danger. One thought V V S Laxman may have been a better option, but for the second time in the series skipper Ganguly decided to take the onus on himself and lead from the front, and strode confidently out to the wicket.
It was a brave decision, given that Lee and Bracken had their tails up and a new cherry in their hands, but it is also one that will give the Indian team's sagging morale a huge boost and may yet make a difference to the outcome of this match. Here is a captain ready to cop it in the middle; here is a captain ready to fight it out.
Dravid, at the other end, looked secure. Ganguly survived a few anxious moments, but ended the day on 6, the same score as Dravid.
This has been Test cricket at its finest. For two days Australia have ruled the roost after India dominated Day 1. It will take a brave man to predict which team will win. The first session on Day 4 will hold the key to India's fortunes for sure.
