The Tasmanian batsmen thrashed the depleted Indian attack on the third day of the tourists' game at Hobart on Sunday to give their team a lead of 156 runs with six first innings wickets intact. With a day still left, the batsmen have given the home side a chance to force a victory.

Resuming at 159 for no loss, Tasmania by close of play had reached 472 for four wickets, thanks in the main to centuries by skipper Jamie Cox and Daniel Marsh, son of former Australian wicket keeping great Rodney Marsh.

Dene Hills and Cox were not separated in the morning till they had put on 205 runs off 70.4 overs. Even this partnership was broken, not by any of the bowlers but through a run out effected by Ramesh. Hills had batted five minutes short of five hours for his 84. He faced 210 balls and hit eleven of them to the ropes.

The Indians had the satisfaction of dismissing the highly rated Michael Di Venuto for 12. He was caught by Mongia, trying to slash Vijay Bhardwaj. But this was the only brief period of ascendency for the Indians. Cox and Andrew Dykes then added 50 runs for the third wicket off 17.2 overs before the captain finally fell for 139. He was caught at mid on by Venkatesh Prasad off Ganguly after batting 400 minutes. The 30-year-old Cox, who leads Somerset in the English county championship, faced 278 balls and hit 13 fours. It was his 24th first class hundred.

There was no respite for the Indians even after Cox had been dismissed. For, Dykes and Marsh got entrenched without any discomfort in a fourth wicket association that added 104 runs and lasted 24 overs. Dykes was finally out leg before to Bhardwaj for 61. He batted a shade under three hours, faced 135 balls and had seven boundary hits.

Marsh and S Young then rubbed salt into the Indians' wounds by adding 91 runs in a shade under two hours off 29.1 overs for the unbroken fifth wicket. Marsh proceeded comfortably towards his hundred and at close was unbeaten with 118 compiled off 221 minutes. The aggressive Marsh faced 156 balls and hit eight fours and a six. Keeping him company was Young with 32. He faced 97 balls and hit three fours.

In cold, blustery conditions, the limitations of the bowlers were exposed. All the three medium pacers Prasad, Mohanty and Kumaran finished wicketless after bowling a total of 70 overs between them. Most disappointing however was Harbhajan Singh. The off spinner sent down 38 overs and conceded 108 runs without taking a wicket. Bhardwaj (2 for 84) and Ganguly (1 for 42) were the only wicket takers. Kanitkar bowled only four overs.

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