Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke help Australia take control of 4th Test

Adelaide, Jan 24 : Batting great Ricky Ponting was within sniffing distance of his 41st Test century as Australia seized control in the second session of the opening day of the final cricket Test against India here today.

The veteran Australian batsman showed sublime touch in notching up 91 by tea and has so far put on 130 runs for the fourth wicket with skipper Michael Clarke (71) to guide the home team to 214 for three at the break.

Australia added 116 runs without losing any wicket in the middle session from 27 overs after resuming at 98 for three in the afternoon at the Adelaide Oval here.

Ponting and Clarke were steady to begin with against the bowling pair of Zaheer Khan and Umesh Yadav but it wasn’t long before the big shots began booming off their bat.

Clarke shifted gears in Yadav’s second over when he pulled the youngster from the meat of his bat for four. Then Zaheer, coming from round the wicket, twice drifted down on to the pads and both Clarke and Ponting helped themselves to a boundary each.

Yadav was removed after four expensive overs for 26 runs which gave him embarrassing figures of none for 67 from his nine overs.

Now it was the turn of the other two frontline bowlers to face the music at the hands of the Australian pair.

Clarke went after Ishant Sharma, driving him ever so sweetly through the covers but then edged him dangerously between the keeper and the widish slip for a four.

Ponting took the cue and chopped Sharma off the front foot past the point boundary.

PTI