Australia breakthrough with Sehwag wicket in Test

Australia claimed the prized wicket of destructive opener Virender Sehwag to pull India back on the second day of the engrossing first Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday. Pace tyro James Pattinson bowled Sehwag in the penultimate over before tea to bring Sachin Tendulkar to the crease, greeted by a standing ovation from the 50,000 MCG crowd. At tea, India were 99 for two in reply to Australia's 333 with Test cricket's two greatest runscorers Tendulkar (2) and Rahul Dravid (25) batting together. Tendulkar is bidding for his 100th Test and one-day century during the four-Test Australia series. Sehwag was dropped three times on his way to a brisk 67 off 83 balls with seven fours in his 75-run stand with Dravid. He had his first "life" on 11 when he was dropped by Mike Hussey low down in the gully off Pattinson. Sehwag, going for his shots, gave two more chances on 51 and 58 as he continued to live dangerously. He hit successive fours off spinner Nathan Lyon and next ball he attempted a lofted shot but was put down in a difficult diving chance by David Warner at long on. Haddin hashed a one-gloved diving effort on Sehwag seven runs later off Pattinson. Sehwag, who smashed a one-day record score of 219 off 149 balls against the West Indies in Indore earlier this month, passed 8,000 Test runs during his knock. Gautam Gambhir was the other Indian wicket to fall when he was surprised by Ben Hilfenhaus's extra bounce and edged to Haddin for three in the eighth over. Earlier, the Australia tail added 56 runs for the last four wickets in the 97 minutes' batting time. Haddin only lasted 10 minutes into the second morning before he snicked Zaheer Khan to Sehwag in the gully for 27 ending a partnership of 72 runs with Peter Siddle. Siddle's 99-ball resistance ended with a great delivery from Zaheer. The Indian left-armer got one to leave Siddle off the pitch and prise a catch behind for M.S. Dhoni for 41. Hilfenhaus hit three fours in his unrestrained 19 before he holed out to Virat Kohli in the deep off spinner Ravi Ashwin. Lyon was last man out bowled attempting to sweep Ashwin for six leaving Pattinson 18 not out off 54 balls. Zaheer finished the best of India's bowlers with four for 77 off 31 overs, while Umesh Yadav and Ashwin claimed three wickets each.