Draw looms as India hits back

India duo Ishant Sharma and Harbhajan Singh claimed two wickets apiece as Australia's hopes of winning the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar series dimmed considerably on day four.

Zaheer, India's No.9 batsman, had also bludgeoned an unbeaten 57 in the morning session to all but end Australia's chances of victory at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

India was eventually bowled out for 360, Zaheer's heroics with the bat restricting the deficit to only 70 runs.

Australia's chances of winning then lay in amassing quick runs, but India's bowlers strangled them with an accurate line.

The visitors finished the day on 5-193 with Brad Haddin (28 not out) and Shane Watson (32no) steering them to a lead of 263 after Harbhajan and Ishant had threatened to bring an early closure to their innings.

Zaheer effected the first breakthrough when he trapped opener Matthew Hayden in front.

Hayden had lacked the fluency which has characterised his batting, the burly left-hander scratching around for 13 runs before walking across to a delivery that was angled in from Zaheer.

Hayden was rapped on the pads and umpire Asad Rauf upheld the appeal for leg before.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, marshalling India in place of Anil Kumble who had felt the ill-effects of a rotator-cuff injury, had spread the field while Australia's openers were at the crease.

But there were three men around the bat - apart from the lone slip in Rahul Dravid - when Ponting walked in to take strike.

Ponting's nemesis, off-spinner Harbhajan, had already been in operation for sometime and he spun a couple past the edge of the Australia captain.

But it was Ishant who sent Ponting back to the pavilion, getting him to play at an angled delivery. Ponting's push on the on-side flew to VVS Laxman who held a low, sharp catch at short mid-wicket.

At the other end, Katich, who had pushed, whipped, poked and missed in equal proportion, was dropped by Gautam Gambhir on five.

The left-handed opener fell the next ball after bringing up the 50-run partnership with Michael Hussey, jabbing at one that bounced more than usual from Harbhajan.

Laxman, at silly point, completed a simple catch.

Michael Clarke (six) and Hussey (31) then fell in quick succession briefly raising hopes of a comeback for India.

Clarke was Ishant's second victim, a lazy, uppish drive off a slower delivery ending the Australian vice-captain's innings.

Hussey was bowled by Harbhajan by one that turned sharply even as the 33-year-old left-hander had shaped to leave.

Haddin and Watson, however, left Australia in a position of relative comfort with an unbeaten 65-run stand for the sixth wicket.

Kumble returned to the field in the final session and sent down seven overs without taking a wicket. He has bowled a total of 50 overs without success.

Earlier in the day, Zaheer, who had given notice of his prowess with the bat in an entertaining - and match-saving - partnership with Harbhajan on Saturday, reached his half-century when he turned left-arm paceman Mitchell Johnson to square-leg for a couple of runs.

Zaheer resumed on an overnight score of 35 and added 31 runs in his partnership with Kumble (five).

Kumble had thwarted frontline bowlers Brett Lee and Johnson for close to an hour in the morning before he was trapped in front by Watson.

The India skipper was Watson's third victim of the innings, helping him achieve figures of three for 35 from 19 overs - his best in Test cricket.

Ishant's prolonged stay at the crease also ruffled Johnson and Watson. The lanky Indian seamer had exchanged words with Johnson and Watson had retorted with a well-directed bouncer.

Ishant (six), however, survived all that only to be bowled through the gate by leg-spinner Michael Clarke.