NEW DELHI, Nov 1: Michael Clarke hit a gritty century to steer Australia to safety on the fourth day of the third Test against a sloppy India here on Saturday.

Clarke, 27, led Australia’s commendable fightback with a 112-run knock that spanned six hours and took the tourists to a first innings score of 577 all out, just 36 adrift of India’s 613-7 declared.

The visitors then reduced India to 43-2 with Brett Lee accounting for Virender Sehwag (12) and Stuart Clark dismissing nightwatchman Ishant Sharma for one.

India’s first-innings double-centurion Gautam Gambhir was batting on 21 with Rahul Dravid on five at close. With the wicket not showing much signs of deterioration, a draw looks the likely result.

India lead the four-match Test series 1-0 after winning the second Test in Mohali by 320 runs. The opener in Bangalore ended in a draw.

The platform for Australia’s fightback was laid by their top-order batsmen, who made handy contributions before Clarke came to the party with his eighth Test century.

The Aussie vice-captain shared a 73-run stand with Shane Watson (36) and added 103 for the seventh wicket with Cameron White (44) while surviving three dropped chances by the butter-fingered Indians.

He was dropped on 21, 90 and 94, underlining India’s indifferent effort in the field and probably dashing their hopes of forcing a series-clinching win here.

“It [dropped catches] certainly helped me,” Clarke said after the day’s play.

“I had a bit of luck. The wicket played quite well and personally, it was very rewarding to make another century in India. But a lot of credit goes to guys like Hayden, Ponting, Katich and Hussey who set the game up for us.

“We will now try and take a few quick wickets tomorrow and try and win the game.”

The only bright spot for the hosts was the maiden five-wicket haul by part-time off-spinner Sehwag, who finished with fine figures of 5-104.

India coach Gary Kirsten admitted that the team failed to grab the opportunities that came their way.

“It wasn’t a great day for us,” he said. “The Aussies fought back and got themselves in a strong position from the batting perspective.

“We did not bowl in the right areas and did not create enough pressure. We also missed a few opportunities that came our way. Had we grabbed those chances, the situation could have been different.”

The highlight of the day was Clarke’s patient 253-ball knock, containing six fours and a six.

He was dropped twice in his 90s with Vangipurappu Laxman — celebrating his 34th birthday — failing to cup a sitter off Sehwag and Amit Mishra (2-144) grassing another in the bowler’s next over.

Clarke, who scored 151 on his Test debut against India in Bangalore in 2004, was earlier spilled on 21 by Sharma who failed to latch on to a simple chance at mid-on off Mishra.

He was finally dismissed by Mishra, who had him caught by Zaheer Khan at long off.

Sehwag, India’s only triple-centurion, bowled White to bag his first Test five-wicket haul. White hit five fours and a six off leg-spinner Anil Kumble in his cameo 95-ball effort.

Kumble (1-94) returned to bowl in the 15th over a day after needing 11 stitches for a deep cut he sustained on his left little finger on Friday.

The Indian captain, who bowled with a broken jaw against West Indies in Antigua in 2002, picked his first wicket of the series when he had Brad Haddin (17) stumped by Mahendra Dhoni.

Scoreboard

INDIA (1st Innings) 613-7 declared (G. Gambhir 206, V.V.S. Laxman 200 not out; S.R. Tendulkar 68).

AUSTRALIA (1st Innings, overnight 338-4):

M.L. Hayden lbw b Sehwag 83

S.M. Katich b Mishra 64

R.T. Ponting b Sehwag 87

M. Hussey b Sehwag 53

M.J. Clarke c Zaheer b Mishra 112

S.R. Watson b Sehwag 36

B.J. Haddin st Dhoni b Kumble 17

C.L. White b Sehwag 44

B. Lee lbw b Kumble 8

M.G. Johnson c and b Kumble 15

S.R. Clark not out 1

EXTRAS (B-28, LB-17, W-2, NB-10) 57

TOTAL (all out, 179.3 overs) 577

FALL OF WKTS: 1-123, 2-202, 3-284, 4-326, 5-399, 6-426, 7-532, 8-555, 9-567.

BOWLING: Zaheer Khan 23-5-86-0 (2nb); Sharma 25-5-84-0 (2nb, 2w); Kumble 43.3-9-112-3 (2nb); Mishra 47-12-144-2 (4nb); Sehwag 40-9-104-5; Tendulkar 1-0-2-0.INDIA (2nd Innings):

G. Gambhir not out 21

V. Sehwag b Lee 16

I. Sharma c Ponting b Clark 1

R. Dravid not out 5

EXTRAS 0

TOTAL (for two wkts, 13 overs) 43

FALL OF WKTS: 1-29, 2-34.

BOWLING (to-date): Lee 6-1-19-1; Clark 5-2-16-1; Clarke 1-0-3-0; Katich 1-0-5-0.—AFP