Krejza spins through India

Sourav Ganguly takes the attack to Jason Krejza in the former skipper's final Test

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An eight-wicket haul from debutant off-spinner Jason Krejza and a swift 92 not out from Simon Katich enabled Australia to battle their way back into the fourth Test against India.

The home side started day two on 311 for five, a strong position bearing in mind they only need a draw to secure a series win.

But Krejza ripped through the India tail to restrict Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men to 441 all out before Katich continued the recovery by moving to the brink of his fifth Test century as Australia closed on 189 for two.

Following the early dismissal of Matthew Hayden, run-out by Murali Vijay at mid-on for 16 while attempting a quick single, Katich, in tandem with Mike Hussey, steadied the ship with the tourists reaching stumps 252 runs behind with eight wickets remaining.

Well constructed half-centuries from Sourav Ganguly (85) and Dhoni (56) helped India race past the 400 mark before Krejza, overlooked for the first three Tests, took centre stage.

He broke the partnership by dismissing Dhoni, who moved past his half-century with consecutive boundaries off Mitchell Johnson.

In a bid to clip Krejza away on the leg-side, the India skipper shuffled too far across his stumps and the ball turned sharply to remove his leg stump.

Jason Krejza holds the match ball aloft after completing an eight-wicket haul on his debut

Krejza then completed a five-for by dismissing Ganguly later in the same over.

Ganguly, playing in his final Test, poked tentatively at a ball which straightened and clipped a thick edge and went to Michael Clarke at first slip.

Zaheer Khan and Amit Mishra, who contributed one run between them, then departed in successive balls from Krejza.

Although Krejza was denied the hat-trick he also snared Ishant Sharma to finish with figures of 8-215 and become just the eighth man in history to take eight wickets in an innings on his Test debut.

Australia's reply got off to a shaky start with Hayden joined back in the pavilion by skipper Ricky Ponting with the score on 74.

Ponting was fooled by Harbhajan Singh, the spinner claiming his 300th Test victim by cramping the Tasmanian as he made room to cut a sharply turning delivery with the ball going on to the stumps.

But Katich steadied the ship, hardly giving India's bowlers a chance while scoring at a run-a-ball as he sped towards a ton.

The Western Australia opener has so far added 115 with Hussey, who looked out of sorts at first before settling down to move on to 45 not out at the close.