KEY POINTS:
ADELAIDE - India tonight accused Australia of being "scared" of losing by not chasing more runs and questioned their thinking as the third cricket Test crawled into an arm wrestle at Adelaide Oval.
Matthew Hayden joined a select group of players by scoring his 30th century, but Australia could not assert the same control as the usually fast-scoring world champs managed only 260 runs in great batting conditions.
Australia spent the third day steadily but slowing replying to India's 526, but at 3-322 still trail by 204 runs with two days left in the match.
That slow scoring rate prompted a remarkable verbal attack by Indian opening batsman Virender Sehwag, who accused Australia of being content to draw the match to guarantee a 2-1 series win.
"They're not going to win, so they are scared so they are playing like very defensive," Sehwag said.
"They're playing defensive, they just scored 260 in a day, they are not like Australia, the last time we came here they scored 400 in a day, so I think they're scared about defeat.
"It was a surprise because on a flat track they scored only 260 in a day and they lost three wickets, so I think something is wrong in their batting line-up or maybe something wrong in their thinking."
But Hayden, whose 103 earned him more centuries than Don Bradman, then accused India of bowling too negatively in bowling too wide outside off stump.
"Unless I was to take four stumps outside off stump and bat out there I don't think I had much chance of reaching most deliveries," he said.
"That was what the result came about through slow scoring - very wide bowling. I didn't feel particularly threatened by the way they bowled with ring fields.
"All they really wanted to do was just to stop us scoring, which was perfect really for us, because all we wanted to do was just bat time in the game."
In a match similar to two of the epics played at this venue over the past five summers, Australia spent the middle day steadily building, but Hayden maintained the side was still out to win to give the retiring Adam Gilchrist the perfect send-off.
But given the roles Indian spinners Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh could play later in the game, the tourists can still win the match and achieve their dream of squaring the series.
In a knock symbolic of the contest, Australian captain Ricky Ponting overcame battles with two of his recent tormentors - Harbhajan and Ishant Sharma - to finish 79 not out, while Michael Clarke was 37 not out.
Mike Hussey (22) was also comprehensively bowled, as Irfan Pathan's snorter swung back in.
This match has a similar feel to the 2003 and 2006 Tests here, when India and then Australia (over England) conceded big totals in the first innings but then won batting last.
Both of those matches produced results thanks to some inspired bowling in the third innings, so the key this time will be whether an Australian can repeat the heroics of Ajit Agarkar in 2003 or Shane Warne in 2006.
Hayden said Australia were satisfied with their position, as they could have been in enormous trouble had they been rolled cheaply today, and tomorrow would aim to "inch into" India's lead.
On another hot, hard-fought day, the series produced more niggle.
Harbhajan traded words with Ponting when they made contact when the Indian fielded off his own bowling, and umpire Asad Rauf spoke with Kumble to make sure the clash did not escalate.
Hayden's century was his third this series, after tons in Melbourne and Sydney before a hamstring injury prevented him playing in Perth, and put him in a group with Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Brian Lara, Ponting and Steve Waugh.
India used seven bowlers today, but will not be able to call on paceman RP Singh, who will be sidelined for two weeks with a hamstring strain.
- AAP
