Third Test ends in a tame draw

India retained 1-0 lead against Australia in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy as the third Test ended in a draw.

Australia entered the final day nurturing hopes of being able to push for a victory to square the series, and a win still appeared possible in the afternoon session.

However some stubborn batting by VVS Laxman frustrated Australia's attack. India declared its second innings at 208-5 early in the final session, setting Australia a nominal target of 245 from 23 overs.

After a half-hour at the crease, Australia on 31-0 and a draw inevitable, stumps were called, meaning the series will be decided in the fourth and final Test in Nagpur which stars from Thursday.

Indian captain Anil Kumble required 11 stitches after splitting the webbing in his left hand attempting a catch and, knowing he could not recover in time for the deciding Test, he decided to retire after a career of 619 test wickets. Kumble had also missed the first two Tests of the series with a shoulder injury.

India started the final day needing a couple of strong partnerships to end any hope of an Australian fightback and they achieved it through Laxman (59 not out), who was aided by Sachin Tendulkar (47) and Sourav Ganguly (32 not out).

Laxman played some delightful drives and hit seven fours during his 130-ball knock, having registered his fifty with a cover drive for four off Michael Clarke before tea.

Tendulkar was closing on his second half-century of the match when he played back to Cameron White and edged to Matthew Hayden at first slip.
The dismissal reduced India to 145-5 in the middle session before Laxman, who scored 200 not out in the first innings, and Ganguly ensured there was no further loss before the declaration.

India employed a cautious approach to avoid the possibility of a batting collapse in the morning, but still lost Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid.

The breakthroughs gave the visitors some hope of running through the Indian order and staging a fifth-day run chase, but the Tendulkar-Laxman stand used up valuable time.

India resumed the final day at 43-2 with a lead of 79 and began watchfully, adding just 28 runs in the first hour.

Brett Lee (2-41) secured the first breakthrough after 30 minutes when he bowled Dravid (11) with a full inswinger that the Indian edged onto his stumps.Opener Gambhir, who followed his first-innings 206 with 36, was untroubled until he missed a ball angled into him from Mitchell Johnson and was given out lbw by Aleem Dar despite the ball appearing to be heading down the legside.

Earlier, Australia was dismissed for 577 on the fourth day in reply to India's first-innings 613-7.