India lose Gambhir, Dravid in Australia Test

India lost two early wickets before reaching 99-4 by lunch on the fifth and final day of the third Test against Australia which is heading for a draw here on Sunday.

Venkatsai Laxman was batting on six with Sachin Tendulkar on 24 at the break.

The hosts, with a 36-run first-innings lead after bowling out the tourists for 577, took their overall lead to 135 with six wickets in hand.

But with just two sessions of play remaining and the track at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium still looking good for batting, neither team is in danger of losing the match.

India lead the four-Test series 1-0 after winning the previous game in Mohali by 320 runs. The opener in Bangalore ended in a draw.

Tendulkar batted cautiously, hitting two fours, including a cracking square drive off Brett Lee (2-41).

Resuming at their overnight score of 43-2, the hosts lost an out-of-sorts Rahul Dravid (11) early when he dragged a Lee in-swinger onto his stumps for his second failure in the match.

Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir (36) tried to build a partnership before the opener was unlucky to be adjudged leg-before off paceman Mitchell Johnson as TV replays showed the ball would have missed leg stump.

Gambhir, who top-scored with 206 in India's first innings total of 613-7 declared, hit five fours in his nearly three-hour stay at the crease.

Laxman welcomed Johnson, celebrating his 27th birthday, with a boundary to remind the visitors of the class he showed during his first-innings knock of 200 not out.

The fourth and final Test will be played in Nagpur from Nov 6-10.