It’s like leading the king to the gallows. There is this bubbling expectation coming off a rebellion, and there is respect. There also is this uncertainty, that maybe, it isn’t over yet.

In the case of an Australian defeat, many experts and critics will be silenced, and Kumble & Co will celebrate.

It would be huge in the context of the game, and big in impact on the series and on cricket journals. All of it, though, through little happenings on-field.

Those little away-shaping deliveries that Irfan Pathan managed this evening to make Australia go two down in their pursuit of 413, those little helpings with the bat from Virender Sehwag, Pathan, MS Dhoni and RP Singh in the absence of big scores, and that little extra urge to excel in pressure situations that VVS Laxman showed.

Australia are 65/2 in their second innings at the end of third day’s play, their record-cracking 17th victory a further 348 runs away. India are a little better in the sum total despite the average fare today. Their batsmen had a fat chance of throwing an astronomical figure at Ricky Ponting, but the Aussie captain will come out tomorrow, resuming on 24 in the company of Michael Hussey, batting on 5.

Sehwag started the day in fourth gear, with two stunning square drives off Stuart Clark, racing into his forties. He was lucky to survive on 43 when Hussey dropped him off Brett Lee, but the Delhi opener failed to negotiate further from that score. From the other end Clark cut one back, the ball whizzing past his pads to rattle his stumps.

... contd.