KEY POINTS:
Mike Hussey's unbeaten 54 helped Australia recover from a top-order slump to reach 191-4 at stumps on day two of the warm-up game against an Indian Cricket Board President's XI.
Hussey and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin (34 not out) steered the tourists out of trouble in an unbroken 63-run, fifth-wicket stand that moved the tourists to within 264 runs of the home team's total of 455.
The Board President's XI added 84 runs to the overnight total of 371-6, with Parthiv Patel (62) and Irfan Pathan (56) posting half-centuries to frustrate Australia, for whom pace bowler Stuart Clarke (3-68) took two wickets. The other wickets were shared by fast bowlers Mitchell Johnson (4-74) and Peter Siddle (2-64).
Australia got off to a bad start as seam bowler Pathan (1-50) had Matthew Hayden (20) caught behind and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha (1-44) dismissed the other opener Simon Katich (15).
Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla (2-46) then snared skipper Ricky Ponting (41) and his deputy Michael Clarke (18), reducing Australia to 128-4 before Hussey and Haddin got together to repair some damage.
Hussey struck one six and seven fours in countering the threat posed by spinners Chawla and Ojha, while Haddin's knock contained one six and five fours.
