Find out what happened on day four of the third Test between India and Australia in Mohali.
Source: The Daily Telegraph
THE Border-Gavaskar trophy is gone. Michael Clarke has stuffed his back. Australia's top-order is a shambles.
Now Phil Hughes is desperate not to become part of the collateral damage as he today bats for his career - and Ashes hopes - in the third Test against India.
The tourists enter the final day's play today on the ropes after Indian paceman B. Kumar removed David Warner (2), Ed Cowan (8) and Steve Smith (5) to leave Hughes (53no) fighting in the Mohali furnace.
At stumps yesterday, Australia (3-75) were teetering in their second innings, still trailing by 16 runs after braveheart Peter Siddle (5-71) helped restrict India to 499.
But the tourists' Mission Impossible task to save the third Test could hinge on the severity of Clarke's injury after the skipper left the field yesterday and was later unable to bat in Australia's top five.
The concern only amplified when tailender Nathan Lyon (4no) was sent to the crease after Warner, Cowan and Smith were exposed by a brilliant Kumar (3-25) spell.
Cricket Australia physiotherapist Alex Kountouris later allayed concerns Clarke was out of the Test. He underwent intensive treatment after play last night, with Siddle confident the skipper will don the pads today, most likely as next man in.
"I think he'll definitely bat," Siddle said. "It was very sore throughout the day, everyone knows he's had a bit of trouble with his back.
"He got some treatment after we came off the field and everything seems to be going along fine.
"Knowing Michael he'll do everything he can with Alex and be ready to go (in the) morning as soon as possible, no doubt.
"He'll want to get out there first-up. I think he'll be ready to go."
Kountouris added: "We'll see how it settles in the morning to determine when he's able to bat."
Even if Clarke soldiers on, the tourists look shot ducks. A loss here, effectively in four days given the rain washout on day one, would be the latest body blow on a tour fast morphing from A-grade Bollywood drama to B-grade horror flick.
Ironically, if the Test is to be saved, it could be Hughes who steps up as the leading man. The 24-year-old has had a forgettable maiden tour of India, managing scores of 6, 0, 19, 0 and 2 in his first five innings.
That's 27 runs at an average of 5.4. He appeared a dead-man walking on day two after his latest failure, but yesterday Hughes played with intent from ball one to make a statement that he is not yet six-feet under.
As stumps approached, he celebrated his half-century from 50 balls, crunching nine fours and a six along the way.
"He has been working so hard in the nets preparing to score runs and it just hasn't come about so it is great for him to get a few runs under his belt," Siddle said of Hughes.
"Let's see where he goes, hopefully he can go big."
Siddle's industry cannot be overstated. After having Ravindra Jadeja (8) caught behind, he had his 145th Test victim - leapfrogging spin legend Bill O'Reilly (144) into Australia's top 20 all-time Test wicket-takers.
"It was nice to be able to contribute," he said.
"Before the Test, I was disappointed with my performances and what I was lacking was building pressure and setting up good partnerships for the team. I think I went a bit better in this match with that side of things.
"There was still a loose ball and too many boundaries that I am picky with myself on.
"But it is nice to come away with the rewards, the bowling today from both ends, the partnerships and how we planned to go about getting the wickets, we did that today and I was the lucky one who got the results."
Despite the precarious position, Siddle is refusing to give up hope of saving the Test.
"We haven't spoken too much about it, we knew we had to knock off the (deficit) first," he said.
"They set us a few more than we would have liked to be chasing going back out there, but we have done pretty well.
"We lost more wickets than we would have liked, but that's what we have to do, we have to keep pushing along and see what position we can put ourselves in.
"We know that a draw doesn't help us at all, but we'll do everything we can to see where we can get.
"It will be hard for us to win, we know that, but we just have to see where we end up."
The skipper's dodgy back to the wall, it seems not even Clarke can work a miracle.
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