Melbourne: Bowlers evenly balance Test

Indian bowlers picked up crucial wickets at the important junctures of the Australian second to give India a fair chance to win the first Test match of the series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), here on Wednesday.

Australia scored 179 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their second innings at stumps on day three.

MEK Hussey (79*) and JL Pattinson (3*) will resume the proceedings on Thursday morning.

Young U Yadav continued to impress with the nw ball as he picked up three quick wickets in the initial stage of the Australian innings and reduced them to 24 runs for the loss of three wickets.

He scalped the wickets of D Warner (5), E Cowan (8) and S Marsh (3) and later on I Sharma bowled M Clarke (1) to reduce the home side at 27 runs for the loss four wickets.

However, the experiecned pair of Ricky Ponting (60) and M Hussey stabilized the innings.

The pair added 115 runs in the fifth wicket and helped the home side bounce back to the game.

Experienced Zaheer Khan picked up the wicket of Ponting to give the visitors a much needed break. He also took the wicket of

B Haddin at his personal score of six runs.

Yadav added one more wicket to hi scalp as he showed Siddle (4) the way towards the pavilion.

I Sharma and Ashwin have picked up one wicket each in the innings so far.

Australia have already taken a lead of 230 runs at stumps on Wednesday.

Earlier, Australian bowlers scalped the seven Indian wickets to halt the Indian innings at 282 runs.

Australia took a lead of 51 runs in the first innings.

SR Tendulkar remained the highest scorer for India with his 73 runs.

V Kohli (11) and MS Dhoni (6) failed to impress with the bat but R Ashwin scored a useful 31 runs on Wednesday morning.]

BW Hilfenhaus scalped five wickets in the innings or Australia. Siddle took three wickets.

Indian batsman Sehwag said that India has fair chance of winning the Test match if the visitors make a good start to the second innings.

"Important to give good start.We can win the Test match," he said.

"Good day for India. Match is evenly balanced. Any team can win," Sehwag.

Sehwag said that the fast bowlers are getting good help from the wicket.

"Fast bowlers are getting help. Seam movement is there," he said.

"This is the best Indian bowling attack I have played with," he said.