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 Martyn's ton throws match wide open - Scorecard
 Chennai, Oct 17: The second cricket Test between India and Australia was poised on the knife's edge at the end of the penultimate day's play here today after Damien Martyn led a remarkable fight back with a gritty century to leave the home team a target of 229 to level the series. After being at the receiving end on the first three days, Australia changed the complexion of the game as they rode on Martyn's eighth Test century to post 369 in their second innings. In reply, Virender Sehwag (12) and Yuvraj Singh (7) saw off the three overs to take India to 19 for no loss at close on the penultimate day.
The hosts now have a daunting task at hand to score the remaining 210 runs on a wearing fifth day track at the M A Chidambaram Stadium. Resuming at the overnight score of 150 for four, the 32-year-old Martyn struck a resolute 104 and shared a record 139-run sixth wicket partnership with nightwatchman Jason Gillespie (26) to not only frustrate the hosts but steer the team to a relatively safe position. The Australian batsmen showed a lot of character as they countered the two Indian spinners Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh quite well to give themselves a chance of taking a 2-0 lead in the four-match series.
 The sixth pair of Martyn and Gillespie tormented the home team for close to four hours before both of them perished in quick succession shortly before the tea break with Harbhajan Singh providing the breakthrough. But Michael Clarke (39 not out) and Darren Lehmann (31) came up with useful knocks to ensure that the visitors had a sizeable lead. Kumble, who turned 34 today, was again the pick of the Indian bowlers with six wickets for 133 to return a match haul of 13 for 181, an effort which saw him climb to the seventh position in the list of highest Test wicket-takers. Kumble, who has now 415 wickets, overtook former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram (414).
It was Kumble's 26th five-wicket haul and the match haul of 13 for 181 was the sixth time he had taken 10 or more wickets. Lehmann became his first victim of the day when he under-pulled a rank bad delivery to be caught behind. Kumble then had Shane Warne caught at silly point before rapping Michael Kasprowicz on the pads. Finally, Harbhajan Singh bowled Glenn McGrath to end the Aussie innings. Clarke remained unbeaten on 39 and his 62-run stand with Lehmann was worth its weight in gold.
 Although it came late in the day, Kumble's strikes made sure the Australian tail did not wag too long and the target remained achievable. But a tail-ender did frustrate the Indians early in the day. Gillespie batted for more than four hours and denied them a wicket the whole of morning session. Gillespie's contribution in his record fifth wicket partnership with Martyn was only 26 but their combined resistance drove the Indians to despair until Harbhajan struck twice in an over before tea to bring the hosts back into the match. Dravid took the catch on both the occasions.
Martyn eschewed flair as he registered his eighth Test hundred that put the Aussies in a healthy situation which seemed distant when captain Adam Gilchrist (49) was dismissed yesterday. Martyn, whose 104 came from 204 balls, hit 11 fours and a six during his 261-minute stay at the crease. He showed his maturing batsmanship against the slow bowlers as he used the width of the crease and judged the length perfectly to rock back and play his pull shots against both Anil Kumble and
Harbhajan.
His resistance meant it was the turn of the Indians to toil under the hot sun. Although the maximum temperature read in the mid-30s outside the stadium, inside it registered well above 40 degrees, making Chepauk a hot furnace. But coming as he does from Western Australia, Martyn coped with the Chennai heat well. Two consecutive fours off Harbhajan saw him reach 50 from 111 balls and also cross the 3,000-run mark in Tests.
By the 86th over, the Australian lead was worth 100, and the 250 came in the 92nd over. Martyn then stepped out to Kumble and perched the leg spinner into the fifth tier at long off to reach his century. In the meantime, India's fielding nightmares continued. Patel conceded five penalty runs after failing to gather Zaheer Khan down the leg and the ball hit the fielder's helmet. The youngster also missed a stumping chance to dismiss Gillespie off Kumble while Harbhajan Singh failed to hold on to a return catch of the nightwatchman. Rahul Dravid's two catches then came as a huge boost of confidence for the Indians. They also gave Harbhajan Singh his 50th wicket against the visitors in seven Tests.
Indians started off their chase confidently with first innings centurion Sehwag hitting three fours off McGrath, two of those came in the last over of the day. (Our Correspondent)
Published: Sunday, October 17, 2004
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