India's ageing and faltering batting line-up left the Test arena for the final time on Australian shores taking with it the faint chances of saving the fourth Test at the Adelaide Oval.
Australia will need just four wickets on the fifth day to wrap up a clinical 4-0 series whitewash after the tourists once again collapsed to be 6 for 166 at stumps.
A 60 per cent chance of showers and thunderstorms forecast for the late morning in Adelaide threatens to spoil the party, but Australia improved its odds of beating the elements and its opponents by taking 4 for 74 in the final session of day four.
Ryan Harris led the way for the quicks on day four, finishing the day with figures of 2 for 25 while honorary South Australian Nathan Lyon removed Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and VVS Laxman to have 3 for 57 at day's end.
"It's a great effort by our bowlers out there, to back up what the batsmen did in the first dig which was something very special," Lyon told Grandstand.
"We still have a lot of work to do to win this Test match, but we are certainly having a bit of fun out there.
"There is a really good vibe in the squad.
"If we come out here in the morning and our quicks knock over the four left I'll still be over the moon with my efforts in this Test match."
India was set an unassailable target of 500 when Australia declared for the second time in the match, this time at 5 for 167 shortly after lunch.
The visitor's resistance looked dependent on the flashing blade of stand-in skipper Sehwag, who belted a half-century off just 36 balls before handing his wicket away on 62.
Veterans Rahul Dravid (25), Tendulkar (13) and Laxman (35), for so long the pillars of a star-studded batting line-up that helped India to the top of Test cricket until just six months ago, all departed cheaply and to warm applause from the Adelaide crowd.
In 118 Tests together, the three wise men of Indian cricket have scored 26,910 runs.
In this series they managed just 636 runs at a combined average of 26.5 and along with their team-mates were clearly no match for Australia's reinvigorated pace attack.
"They've been legends of the game and they've played some wonderful cricket in Australia," off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin told Grandstand.
"They have been batting well. It's a series where things started well but it has not ended well. It can happen in cricket."
Emerging star Virat Kohli (22) was needlessly run out in the second last over of the day following a superb piece of fielding by Ben Hilfenhaus.
India's impending defeat will be its eighth straight Test match defeat on foreign soil and Ashwin said the tourists can use Australia's recent recovery as inspiration.
"It's definitely hard to cope with, but in saying that every team goes through a down side," he said.
"Australia really recovered from a really bad loss in the Ashes and they came forward.
"That's the kind of positive we need to take forward.
"We will take as much out of this as possible and put it in the experience bank and try and make use of it as our careers go on."
Earlier in the day, Michael Clarke was dismissed for 37 and finished the series as the leading runscorer with 626 runs at an average of 125.20.
Ricky Ponting remained unbeaten on 60 when the declaration was made, and has already made more runs in 2012 (422) than he managed from his seven Tests in 2011 (415).
Starting the series with the future of his spot in doubt, Ponting has shone while Tendulkar, arguably weighed down by his much-hyped quest for a 100th international ton, has not cracked three figures for 22 innings - his longest career drought.
Tendulkar also leaves Australia without scoring a Test century for the first time in his five visits.
Tags: cricket, sport, adelaide-5000, sa, australia, india First posted January 27, 2012 20:01:19
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