Adelaide Test: Australia four wickets away from a 4-0 whitewash

Adelaide, Jan.27 (ANI): Australia on Friday closed in on a series whitewash, needing just four more Indian wickets at the Adelaide Oval here, to seal an incredible four nil scoreline

At stumps on day four of the fourth test, India were 166 for the loss of six wickets, needing a further 334 runs for an impossible victory on the fifth and final day on Saturday.

The wrecker-in-chief was hometown boy and off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who snared three wickets for 57 runs.

Earlier, Australia scored 167 for the loss of five wickets in their second innings, setting India a winning target of 500. To put that in perspective, the highest successful chase in all of Test history was 418 by West Indies in Antigua nine years ago. The best in Adelaide was the 315 that Joe Darling's Australians chased down against England 110 years ago. In the past century, the highest Test chase in Adelaide was less than half of what India requires in this innings.

Fast bowler Ishant Sharma was at the crease on 2, while wicketkeeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha is yet to open his account.

The only highlight of the Indian second innings was a52-run partnership between V.V.S. Laxman and first innings centurion Virat Kohli.

Laxman scored 35 before being caught by Shaun Marsh at short midwicket. Kohli was runout for 22 by Ben Hilfenhaus.

At one stage, India were 110 for the loss of four wickets. Gautam Gambhir (3), Virender Sehwag (66), Rahul Dravid (25) and Sachin Tendulkar (13) were sent packing.Tendulkar finished the series with an aggregate of 287 runs at an average of 35.87. He walked off to a standing ovation, as in all probability, it will be his last Test on Australian soil.

For Australia, in their second innings, Ricky Ponting finished unbeaten on 60. Michael Clarke scored 37, while Michael Hussey was adjudged lbw to Ishant Sharma for 15. (ANI)