Cricket: Aussies grind India down

Australian cricketers Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey. Photo / Getty Images

Australia continued to grind India into the SCG dirt on Thursday, declaring at 4-659 and then claiming the early second innings scalp of danger man Virender Sehwag.

At tea on day three, India are 1-53 with Gautam Gambhir (39 not out) and Rahul Dravid (7 not out) to leave the tourists trailing by 415 runs.

India face an uphill battle if they're to save the Test and keep their chances alive of winning a maiden series in Australia.

However, losing the fast-scoring Sehwag for just four when they have such a huge deficit to make up is a giant blow to overcome.

Michael Clarke's sensational 329 not out was one of the finest innings in Australian history and when his partner Michael Hussey brought up 150, the skipper declared midway through the second session on day three.

Their unbroken partnership of 334 was the highest-ever against India and the fourth-highest recorded at the SCG.

Clarke was just five runs from joining Mark Taylor and Sir Donald Bradman on 334 runs, and had Matt Hayden's Australian record of 380 and Brian Lara's world mark of 400 not out within reach.

But the skipper unselfishly decided to call time and put the heat back on India with just under half the Test still remaining.

In the 100th Test played at the iconic SCG, it was fitting that Clarke would break the ground record score and post the first-ever triple hundred in Sydney.

Sehwag is one of the most devastating batsmen in the game but when the 33-year-old tried to cut Australian quick Ben Hilfenhaus (1-7), he couldn't get past an outstretched David Warner at point.

India were 1-18, but the under-pressure Gambhir, who has failed in every innings so far on tour, stood tall and saw the tourists to tea without further loss.

Earlier, India's bowlers copped a pounding and would have been relieved for the massacre to finally be over.

Zaheer Khan finished with 3-122, Ishant Sharma 1-144, Umesh Yadav 0-123 and spinner Ravichandran Ashwin 0-157.