ADELAIDE, Jan 25: Captain Anil Kumble fell short of a second Test century but India’s tail wagged strongly to help the tourists post a big first innings score in the fourth and final Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval on Friday.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, India were dismissed for an imposing 526 just after tea on the second day, Sachin Tendulkar top-scoring with a majestic 153.

In reply, Australia were 62 without loss at stumps, with Matthew Hayden on 36 and Phil Jaques on 21.

The Aussies had only one scare, when Jaques was almost run out on 12 by an alert Dinesh Karthik, the substitute fieldsman missing with a backhand flick at the stumps that would have had the opener well out had it hit.

In a blow for the Indians, opening bowler R.P. Singh left the field late in the day with what appeared to be a slight hamstring strain.

Harbhajan Singh made 63 in a century partnership for the eighth wicket with Kumble. Kumble was the last man out in India’s highest total at the Adelaide Oval, caught behind by Adam Gilchrist for 87 off the bowling of Mitchell Johnson, having added 58 for the last wicket with number 11 Ishant Sharma.

The catch was Gilchrist’s fourth for the innings and earned him the record for wicket-keeping dismissals, his tally of 414 edging him one ahead of South Africa’s Mark Boucher.

In rallying from 359 for seven, the tourists were aided by a host of dropped catches from the normally clinical Australians.

India’s hopes of posting more than 400 seemed in jeopardy when Tendulkar was the seventh man out, but Kumble and Harbhajan then frustrated the Australians by putting on 107.

Tendulkar holed out to Brad Hogg on the square leg boundary from the bowling of Brett Lee to end a memorable innings. It was the first ball after Tendulkar received extended treatment to his knee, having been struck a painful blow when he miscued an attempted pull off the previous delivery from the Australian paceman.

Tendulkar went into the match with just 122 runs at 20.33 in his three previous visits to the Adelaide Oval, but made sure his last Test at the home ground of his idol Donald Bradman would be a memorable one with his 39th century.

He looked in magnificent touch on the second day, playing some glorious shots in the first hour of play before being struck by Lee the ball after reaching 150.

Tendulkar, who has 480 runs at 80 in the series, faced 205 balls and hit 13 fours and three sixes.

Scoreboard

INDIA (1st innings) (overnight 309-5)

V. Sehwag c Hayden b Lee 63

I. Pathan c Gilchrist b Johnson 9

R. Dravid c Ponting b Johnson 18

S. Tendulkar c Hogg b Lee 153

S. Ganguly lbw Hogg 7

V.V.S. Laxman c Gilchrist b Lee 51

M.S. Dhoni c Symonds b Johnson 16

A. Kumble c Gilchrist b Johnson 87

H. Singh c Gilchrist b Symonds 63

R.P. Singh c b Clarke 0

I. Sharma not out 14

EXTRAS (B-8, LB-21, W-3, NB-13) 45

TOTAL (all out, 152.5 overs) 526

FALL OF WKTS: 1-34, 2-82, 3-122, 4-156, 5-282, 6-336, 7-359, 8-466, 9-468.

BOWLING: Lee 36-4-101-3 (6nb), Johnson 37.5-6-126-4 (3w, 7nb), Clark 31-6-92-0, Hogg 31-2-119-1, Clarke 10-0-39-1, Symonds 7-0-20-1.

AUSTRALIA (1st innings)

P. Jaques not out 21

M. Hayden not out 36

EXTRAS (LB-3, NB-2) 5

TOTAL (for no wkt, 21 overs) 62

BOWLING: R.P. Singh 4-0-14-0, Pathan 6-0-17-0, Sharma 4-0-12-0 (2nb), Harbhajan 4-1-9-0, Kumble 3-0-7-0.

UMPIRES: Asad Rauf (PAK), Billy Bowden (NZL).

THIRD UMPIRE: Steve Davis (AUS).

MATCH REFEREE: Mike Procter (RSA).

—AFP