Resuming on Day 3 in the first Test at Mohali at the overnight score of 110-2, Rahul Dravid and Ishant Sharma defied Australia's attack for 16 overs before Doug Bollinger ended the partnership after the pair had added 45.

The left-arm pacer angled one across and Ishant shoulder-armed, having misjudged the trajectory, only to watch his off-stump pegged back.

Ishant, who scored 18 off 56 deliveries - incuding three fours, could have been dismissed much earlier, but Mike Hussey failed to hold on to a catch off Nathan Hauritz at gully when the batsman was on six.

Hauritz opened the bowling for the visitors along with Mitchell Johnson, only to be replaced by Ben Hilfenhaus after he bowled only two overs.

Only 11 runs came off the first eight overs. The first boundary of the day came in the ninth over when an edge off Dravid's blade off Hilfenhaus went between the fielders.

Rahul Dravid scored a resolute half-century as India dominated the opening session on the third day.

It was Dravid's 59th Test fifty and his 12th against Australia. At the lunch break he was unbeaten on 62, which came off 106 deliveries and was inclusive of 10 boundaries.

The post-lunch session was marked by a slow start. It did not take long though for the Dravid and Tendulkar to bring up the 50-run stand for the fourth wicket. The partnership, which yielded 79 runs for India, ended with the Dravid's dismissal for 77.

A length delivery from Doug Bollinger induced an edge from the batsman's blade and Tim Paine, behind the stumps, made no mistake with what was a regulation catch.

Dravid's 134-ball knock was inclusive of 12 hits to the fence and, to an extent, helped him recover from his recent slump.

Tendulkar lived dangerously for some time. His flick off Hilfenhaus fell just short of Ricky Ponting at short midwicket while he also survived a leg before appeal from Bollinger.

However, he soon settled down, regaling the crowd with some exquisite hits to the fence.

But, just when he was well set to register his 49th Test century, he fell two short of a deserving hundred, adjudged leg before to Marcus North when on 98. His 189-ball knock comprised 13 hits to the fence. His fifth wicket stand with Suresh Raina, nonetheless, yielded a valuable 124 runs.

Mitchell Johnson was the most successful Australian bowler, with figures of five for 64.

The left-arm quick provided his team the breakthroughs at crucial moments, when the game seemed to be slipping out of their clutches.

It was Johnson's sixth five-wicket haul in his 37th Test. It was also the first occasion he claimed a fiver against India, his previous best being 4 for 70 at Bangalore in 2008.