Australia in sight of series victory

ADELAIDE, Australia -- Centuries by Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke all but secured the Australia-India test series for the home side on the fourth day of the fourth and final test on Sunday.

Ponting (140) moved up a rung in cricket's batting elite with his 34th test century, and Adam Gilchrist played a brief cameo in what was likely his last test innings as Australia were bowled out for 563 -- a 37-run lead on first innings.

At stumps on day four, India were 45-1 in their second innings and heading for a draw on a pitch which has yielded 1,134 runs for 21 wickets in four days, with Australia leading the series 2-1.

India made a stuttering start to their second innings with opener Irfan Pathan falling for a six-ball duck after being trapped lbw by Mitchell Johnson.

Virender Sehwag's unbeaten 31 and Rahul Dravid's 11 not out moved the tourists eight runs clear heading into the fifth day.

Resuming on 322 for three -- a total aided by Matthew Hayden's 30th Test century on Saturday -- Ponting and Clarke dug in during the morning session to frustrate the Indian attack and take the score beyond 400.

Having seen skipper Ponting record his 34th Test century in the morning, Clarke followed suit in the afternoon, picking up his third Test hundred with a single off Sehwag.

But their 210 run-partnership finally came to an end three balls later with the score on 451 when Ponting attempted to dab a Sehwag delivery behind point but played it on to his stumps with an inside edge as he was dismissed for 140.

Clarke and Andrew Symonds added 39 more runs in 11 overs before Clarke went for 118 after edging an Ishant Sharma delivery to VVS Laxman at second slip.

The retiring Adam Gilchrist came out to a standing ovation and hit a swift 14 from 18 balls before driving a Pathan delivery straight to Sehwag, who took a straightforward catch at cover.

Australia passed the Indian total three overs after tea but then lost two quick wickets with Symonds going for 30 after playing a Sharma delivery on to his stumps and Brett Lee following for one, edging a catch to MS Dhoni to give Pathan his 100th Test wicket.

Brad Hogg and Johnson took the Australian total to 557 with a 29-run partnership before Johnson lofted a Harbhajan Singh delivery to long-on where Sharma slid in to take the catch.

Sehwag then bowled Stuart Clark for three to end the Australian innings at 563, with Hogg unbeaten on 16.

India's second-innings response suffered a setback in only the second over when Johnson's good length delivery outside off-stump hit Pathan's front pad and umpire Asad Rauf sent the opener back to the pavilion.

However, Sehwag's sprightly 31, which included two fours and one six, will give the Indians some hope heading into the final day.

Meanwhile, Pakistan rode on a half century by Shahid Afridi to post 37-run victory against Zimbabwe in Multan on Sunday in the third limited-overs game and take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.

Hard-hitting batsman Afridi blazed 85 off 52 balls that included world record equaling 245th six as Pakistan restricted Zimbabwe to 235-7 after scoring a formidable total of 272-9 of its 50 overs.

Sean Williams (71) and Brendon Taylor (55) shared 105-run fourth wicket stand off 131 balls which gave Zimbabwe some hopes.

But both departed in space of nine deliveries that wiped off Zimbabwe chances as Pakistan bowlers bowled to a disciplined line and length.

The fourth match of the series will be played at Faisalabad on January 30, followed by the last game at Sheikhupura on February 2.

South Africa took an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-match one-day series at home to the West Indies with a seven-wicket win at Port Elizabeth on Sunday.

Jacques Kallis scored an unbeaten 121 off 133 balls -- his 16th limited overs century -- as the Proteas reached 256-3 in reply to the tourists' 252-7, making their target with eight balls to spare.

Kallis put on 82 for the second wicket with captain Graeme Smith, who made 56, and then an unbroken 88 with Jean-Paul Duminy to clinch victory.

Marlon Samuels top-scored for the West Indies with 98, falling just short of his third one-day international century. E-mail to a friend

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