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Adelaide. Australian paceman Peter Siddle rocked India’s hopes of avoiding the follow-on with the big wickets of Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir on the third day of the fourth Adelaide Test on Thursday.

Siddle had Tendulkar and Gambhir dismissed to brilliant diving catches behind the wicket in the space of 10 balls to have the beleaguered tourists again under pressure.

Spinner Nathan Lyon followed up with the wicket of misfiring V.V.S. Laxman for 18 shortly before lunch to have the Australians bowling at India’s lower order.

At lunch, India, chasing Australia’s 604 for seven declared, were 122 for five and needing 283 more runs to avoid the follow-on, with Virat Kohli on 21 and Wriddhiman Saha on five.

Tendulkar again missed out on his 100th international century when he was dismissed for 25 inside the opening hour.

Siddle struck with the second ball of his fifth over enticing an edge off Tendulkar’s bat for a diving Ricky Ponting to scoop it up low down at second slip.

Gambhir was out in Siddle’s next over when he was unable to keep down a lifting delivery and was caught off the shoulder of his bat by a diving Mike Hussey at gully for 34.

The wholehearted Siddle had captured two huge wickets in 10 balls to seize the initiative for Australia. It was the third time in the series Siddle claimed Tendulkar’s wicket and he had figures of 3-29 off seven overs at lunch.

Laxman’s miserable series continued when he edged a bouncier Lyon delivery into the gloves of Brad Haddin. In seven innings in the series Laxman has scored just 120 runs at 17.14.

The Indians are facing a 4-0 series wipeout in the final Test after heavy losses in the opening three Tests.

Agence France-Presse