Harbhajan Singh [Images] and Ishant Sharma took two wickets each but Australia [Images] still held the upperhand at close on Day 4 of the first Test, at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore, on Sunday.

- Scorecard | Images from Day 4

At stumps, Australia were 193 for 5 in 68 overs, for an overall lead of 263 runs with a day to go.

Shane Watson (32 not out) and Brad Haddin (28 not out) were involved in an unbroken stand of 65 for the sixth wicket to keep Australia in the hunt for victory.

The Australian top order failed again, as Matthew Hayden [Images] and Ricky Ponting [Images] were dismissed early.

Simon Katich scratched around for nearly two-and-a-half hours before being caught at silly point off Harbhajan for 34 from 140 deliveries.

The offie then produced a magical delivery to get rid of Michael Hussey (31), bowling him with one that pitched outside off-stump and spun miles into the batsmen, who preferred to offer no shot.

Morning session:

Zaheer Khan [Images] followed up on his heroics with the ball with a brilliant batting performance to helped India reach a respectable 360

Zaheer, who posted his second half-century in Tests, finished unbeaten on 57 as India conceded a 70-run first innings lead.

In their second innings, Australia were nine for no loss in six overs before lunch was taken.

The left-arm pacer was India's best bowler in the first innings, claiming five for 91 runs, to help restrict Australia to 430.

Resuming at 313 for 8 on the fourth day, India added 47 runs in 23 overs to frustrate the Australians for an hour-and-a-half.

Zaheer got India moving with an edged boundary off the third ball of the day from Brett Lee [Images] and then smashed a cracking drive through the off-side for his seventh boundary to advance to 44.

He completed his half-century with a double on the leg side off Johnson. It took him 106 deliveries to reach his second fifty in Test cricket, which included seven boundaries. India were now inching closer to Australia's first innings score of 430. Theye were now 341 for 8, after being 155 for 5 at one stage.

Captain Anil Kumble [Images] tried his best to stay at the wicket but could not hang around for long; he fell leg before wicket to Shane Watson for five.

But Zaheer and Ishant Sharma continued to irk Australia with some determined batting. They kept rotating the strike and never tried anything too fancy against the pace bowlers, forcing the introduction of part-time spinner Michael Clarke [Images].

And Clarke, who enjoys bowling against India, delivered the goods, claiming Ishant, the final wicket.

Ishant was bowled for six but not before hanging on at the wicket for 34 minutes and adding valuable 17 runs for the last wicket with Zaheer.

Zaheer emerged India's saviour both with the bat and ball as he finished unbeaten on a fine 57; more than anything, he kept the Aussie bowlers at bay for more than three hours.

The last three wickets added 128 runs and Zaheer played a part in all of them.

Mitchell Johnson could not do much damage on the fourth morning, but ended up with impressive figures of 4 for 70 in 27 overs.

Shane Watson, playing Test cricket after nearly three years, registered his best figures in Tests as he claimed 3 for 45 in 19 overs.

Debutant Cameron White was a disappointment and it was no surprise that part-timer Michael Clarke bowled more overs than him, taking 2 for 38 in 17 overs.

Post-lunch session: (65 runs, 2 wickets, 27 overs)

With captain Anil Kumble not taking the field because of a sore shoulder, the Indian team had to take one pacer off and give a fairly new ball to Harbhajan Singh.

The plan was to keep the off-spinner operating from one end, and let the pacers share duties from the other end so that pressure was kept from both ends. The field placing was also defensive, so as not to allow Australia to get off to a flier and keep also them tied down, like was the case in the first innings.

Simon Katich got an early reprieve when Gautam Gambhir [Images], at short leg, failed to latch on to a sharp bat-pad chance off Harbhajan in the 12th over.

Zaheer gave India the breakthrough when he got the big wicket of Hayden, twenty minutes after the lunch break, trapping him leg before wicket for 13.

Ricky Ponting started off tentatively against Harbhajan and there was a loud appeal against him for caught at leg slip off the first ball he faced from the offie.

Australia's captain prodded and somehow managed to keep Harbhajan at bay before he decided he had seen enough. He then stepped down the wicket and slammed Harbhajan over midwicket for a boundary in the 18th over.

Ishant also tested Ponting with his sharp, rising deliveries, which struck the batsmen quite high on the bat a couple of times. He nearly had Ponting caught off a slower delivery in the 23rd over but the ball fell just short of Sachin Tendulkar [Images] at point. But with the very next delivery he got him when he tried to flick him through midwicket.

Laxman, positioned specifically for that shot, came up with a sharp catch to send back Ponting for 17, as Australia were reduced to 49 for 2.

It was the fourth time in four Test matches that Ponting's wicket was claimed by Ishant.

Australia's batsmen again found the going very difficult. The run-rate was just below the two-run mark, as they scored 51 for 2 after 26 overs.

Even though India were a bowler short, they kept things tight and did not let the Australian batsmen score freely. That was due to some disciplined bowling throughout the session.

Katich struggled to find the gaps and his first boundary came only after a long wait of 97 deliveries when he cut Zaheer through point to move to 19.

At tea on the fourth day, Australia were 74 for 2 in 33 overs, for an overall lead of 144 runs. Katich was unbeaten on a painstaking 21 from 100 deliveries, while Michael Hussey was not out on 12 from 25 deliveries.

Post-tea session: (119 runs, 3 wickets, 35 overs)

Australia continued their defensive approach for nearly an hour after the tea break till Katich stepped out and lofted Harbhajan over mid-off for a boundary.

But the off-spinner had his revenge the very next delivery when he got one to kick off a length; Katich could not keep it down and hit it straight to the silly point fielder.

Katich was at the crease for more than two hours, but could only scrape his way to 34 off 140 deliveries, inclusive of three boundaries.

He added 50 runs for the third wicket with Hussey, but the duo could not really get going at any stage during their partnership on a wicket that was getting increasingly difficult to bat.

Clarke got off the mark in confident style, smashing Harbhajan through the covers off the first ball he faced, to bring up Australia's 100 in the 45th over.

Ishant, however, deceived him with a slower delivery which the batsman hit straight to the short cover fielder and was dismissed for 6.

Michael Hussey looked good for another big innings till Harbhajan cut his run short.

The left-hander left a delivery outside the off-stump only to see it hit the rough and spin back a long way on to his stumps and bowl him for 31.

New batsman Shane Watson survived a close call when his edge off Ishant fell just short of wicketkeeper Dhoni [Images]. He then got another reprieve when a pull shot off Harbhajan just about cleared Sehwag, who was standing near the midwicket fence.

Five balls later, Laxman, at leg slip, failed to get down on time to a sharp chance that went into the fine leg boundary.

Both Brad Haddin and Watson looked to attack the bowlers and tried to disturb their rhythm.

Captain Anil Kumble promptly manned the leg side, making sure that the Aussies did not run away with the scoring rate.

After seeing the amount of help Harbhajan was getting from the pitch, Kumble came into the attack in the 54th over. He missed a few overs at the start of the Indian innings because of a sore shoulder, but now appeared fit to resume bowling.

Watson and Haddin's aggressive approach also improved the run-rate slightly; they put on 50 runs for the sixth wicket off just 71 deliveries.

At close of play on Day 4, Australia were 193 for 5 in 68 overs for an overall lead of 263 runs.

Watson was unbeaten on 32 from 67 deliveries, inclusive of four boundaries, while Brad Haddin was not out on 28 from 49 deliveries that fetched three boundaries.

The two batsmen were involved in an broken stand of 65 runs for the sixth wicket which lifted Australia's scoring rate in the last hour.

Harbhajan did most of the bowling for India, claiming 2 for 76 in 27 overs. Ishant also troubled the Aussies, taking 2 for 27 in 12 overs, while Zaheer took 1 for 30 in 15 overs.

The questions now are how long will Australia bat on the final day and what target will they set the Indians.

At this venue, only two teams out of nine have successfully chased down a target in the fourth innings, the highest being 195 for 2 by Australia in 1998.

- Scorecard | Images from Day 4