India on the brink /Aussie collapse puts series well within reach for hosts

India look to have landed the decisive blow in their Test series with Australia as the tourists crumbled to 137 all out in their second innings in the Dharamsala decider.

Ravindra Jadeja, whose half-century earlier in the day had established a small first-innings lead for India, Umesh Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin each took three wickets as Australia were hustled out inside 54 overs in the fourth and final Test.

Needing 106 to wrap up a hard-fought 2-1 series win, India closed on 19 without loss and, while victory is by no means a foregone conclusion, they will be overwhelming favourites to overhaul the target on the fourth morning of the Test.

That they are in pole position is due in no small part to the all-round efforts of Jadeja, whose flamboyant 63 included four fours and as many sixes and included a crucial 96-run partnership with Wriddhiman Saha.

The stand, which took India past Australia’s firstinnings total, was ended shortly after Pat Cummins’ introduction into the attack, with the express paceman rattling Jadeja’s helmet with his first delivery before, in his next over, bowling the left-hander.

In his next over, the hostile Cummins saw off Saha for 31 thanks to a fine catch at slip by Steve Smith, while Nathan Lyon completed a

0 Australia wicketkeeper Matthew Wade keeps his eye on the ball on the third day of the fourth Test against India in Dharmsala. five-wicket haul after Kuldeep Yadav was caught in the deep as India were all out for 332.

Holding a 32-run firstinnings advantage, India made inroads into the top order when Umesh squared up the out-of-form David Warner as well as Matt Renshaw, both of whom were caught behind.

First-innings centurion Smith chopped onto his stumps before Peter Handscomb and the lively Glenn Maxwell offered some resistance with a 56-run partnership but Ashwin had the former caught at slip for 18, the first of seven wickets to fall for 50 runs as Australia collapsed.

The as-ever economical Jadeja collected three for 24 from 18 overs while Ashwin and Umesh both finished with three for 29 to put India in the driver’s seat.

KL Rahul (13no) and Murali Vijay (6no) survived the six overs to the close to leave India needing 87 runs to seal victory in this Test and the series. ● Former Australia international Shaun Tait has called time on his professional career after struggling to overcome a chronic elbow complaint.

Two of Tait’s three Test appearances came in the memorable 2005 Ashes series but a host of injuries meant he only played firstclass cricket for another three years after that.

The fast bowler has been plying his trade exclusively in the Twenty20 format for the last couple of years.