BANGALORE, Oct 10: India made a spirited reply to Australia’s 430 in the first Test here on Friday, reaching 68 without loss in their first innings by the close of the second day’s play.

Openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir negotiated a tricky 18.1 overs before heavy rain brought an early end to the day’s play that was marked by a solid century from the ever-reliable Michael Hussey.

The consistent left-hander shored up Australia’s first innings with a gritty 146 before he was last man out soon after tea.

Sehwag began in his typical aggressive style, smashing seven boundaries against the four-man Australian pace attack on the way to 43 not out. His Delhi team-mate Gambhir was unbeaten on 20.

India will resume on Saturday looking to build a sizeable total of their own on a wicket that is still batsman-friendly but could keep low later in the match.

Hussey, who averages an astonishing 70.60 in 26 matches after making his Test debut three years ago aged 30, has already scored nine hundreds and as many half-centuries in his remarkable career.

Entering the fray just before tea on the first day, Hussey batted for seven hours, hitting 15 boundaries and a six to frustrate India’s hopes of terminating the innings early.

Hussey said the team’s total had given the tourists a chance to put the Indians under pressure.

“I think it will definitely be harder to bat on as the Test match wears on,” the 33-year-old said.

“It is already very dry and there are a lot of cracks in it. One can never really feel ‘in’ on it.

“You feel there is just enough variable bounce there to keep all the bowlers interested, particularly our fast bowlers.”

Indian left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan, who bowled Hussey, finished with five for 91, while new-ball partner Ishant Sharma had figures of four for 77.

There was no joy, however, for the spinners. Indian captain Anil Kumble had unflattering figures of 0-129 from 43 overs while Harbhajan Singh went for 1-103 from 41.

Australia, who resumed on their overnight score of 254-4, lost all-rounder Shane Watson in the third over of the day, bowled off-stump by a sharp inswinger from Sharma.

Wicket-keeper Brad Haddin put on 91 for the sixth wicket with Hussey, contributing 33.

Sharma removed Haddin and debutant Cameron White in the space of three overs after lunch but Brett Lee (27) helped Hussey along by adding 59 for the eighth wicket.

Sharma had Haddin and White caught in the cover region off deliveries that came off the barren pitch slowly, an indication that batting may become difficult as the Test progresses.

Hussey, who was on 49 when Watson was out, took charge with three boundaries off Zaheer, two of them exquisite cover drives and the third a ferocious pull to square-leg.

Zaheer claimed the last three Australian wickets in the space of 14 runs after tea, shattering the stumps of Lee, Mitchell Johnson and finally Hussey.

Australian skipper Ricky Ponting on Thursday notched his 36th career Test century, just three behind record holder Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of 39.

The visitors were helped along towards their big total by shabby Indian fielding, highlighted by retiring former captain Saurav Ganguly letting the ball pass through his legs at mid-off.

Ganguly, 36, said on Tuesday he will retire from international cricket after the four-Test series ends.

Scoreboard

AUSTRALIA (1st Innings, overnight 254-4):

M.L. Hayden c Dhoni b Zaheer 0

S.M. Katich c Dhoni b Sharma 66

R.T. Ponting lbw b Harbhajan 123

M.E.K. Hussey b Zaheer 146

M.J. Clarke lbw b Zaheer 11

S.R. Watson b Sharma 2

B.J. Haddin c Laxman b Sharma 33

C.L. White c Harbhajan b Sharma 6

B. Lee b Zaheer 27

M.G. Johnson b Zaheer 1

S.R. Clark not out 0

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-10, W-1, NB-3) 15

TOTAL (all out, 149.5 overs) 430

FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-166, 3-226, 4-254,

5-259, 6-350, 7-362, 8-421, 9-429.

BOWLING: Zaheer Khan 29.5-4-91-5 (1nb, 1w); Sharma 30-7-77-4; Harbhajan Singh 41-8-103-1; Kumble 43-6-129-0 (1nb); Sehwag 6-0-19-0 (1nb).

INDIA (1st Innings):

G. Gambhir not out 20

V. Sehwag not out 43

EXTRAS (B-4, NB-1) 5

TOTAL (for no wkt, 18.1 overs) 68

TO BAT: R. Dravid, S.R. Tendulkar, S.C. Ganguly, V.V.S. Laxman, M.S. Dhoni, A. Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, I. Sharma.

BOWLING (to-date): Lee 5-1-12-0 (1nb); Clark 7-1-28-0; Johnson 4.1-0-23-0; Watson

2-1-1-0.—AFP