India's spinners Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha sliced through Australia's top order to lead the hosts' fightback in the second and final Test on Saturday. Openers Shane Watson and Simon Katich put on 99 for the first wicket before three wickets fell for 33 runs as the tourists moved to 189-3 by tea on the opening day at the Chinnaswamy stadium. A boisterous home crowd of 20,000 cheered wildly as Harbhajan grabbed two wickets and Ojha one to slow Australia's progress in the post-lunch session. Captain Ricky Ponting kept Australia afloat with an unbeaten 43, having put on 57 runs for the fourth wicket with Michael Hussey (29 not out). Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni lost the toss for the 10th successive time and was asked to field on a slow, moisture-laden pitch in overcast conditions. Watson hit 57, his third successive half-century in the series, and Katich made 43 to give Australia the perfect start in their bid to level the series after they lost the first Test in Mohali by one wicket. Watson, who scored 126 and 56 in the first Test, made light of the heavy conditions to build on his good form with nine boundaries. He began by smashing two consecutive fours in seamer Shanthakumaran Sreesanth's first over and glided the other new-ball bowler Zaheer Khan for two boundaries to third man. Left-hander Katich was content to play second fiddle, helping himself to six fours by lunch. Katich fell in the first over after resumption when, having hit the third ball from Harbhajan for a boundary, he edged the fifth to Rahul Dravid at first slip. Watson departed seven overs later when he attempted to cut left-arm spinner Ojha and edged a sharp catch to Dhoni behind the stumps. Michael Clarke, who hit a century on debut at the same venue in 2004, had made 14 when he edged Harbhajan to short-leg where Suresh Raina dived to his left to take a low catch. Earlier, India's Venkatsai Laxman was ruled out of the Test after failing to recover fully from back spasms suffered during his match-winning knock of 73 not out at Mohali. Laxman was replaced by debutant Cheteshwar Pujara, while opener Murali Vijay and Sreesanth came in for the injured duo of Gautam Gambhir and Ishant Sharma. Australia awarded a Test cap to lanky fast bowler Peter George, who replaced the injured Doug Bollinger. u00a0

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India's spinners Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha sliced through Australia's top order to lead the hosts' fightback in the second and final Test on Saturday.

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