A betting man would have his money firmly on Australia at the end of Day Four of the opening Test.

However, India's recent exploits in the Test arena would have given them a lot of hope going into the fifth and final day today. It was Sachin Tendulkar who stood between Australia and a remarkable victory after yet another fluctuating day at the PCA Stadium.

MiD DAY has learnt that Tendulkar gave a motivational speech to the players in the dressing room after the day's play. He is believed to have told the players that the match was still wide open, and the 161 runs on the final day is gettable if each batsman puts a price on his wicket, and guts it out against an Aussie attack that isn't truly world-class.

Apart from Tendulkar, who scored 98 in the first innings, and skipper MS Dhoni, the only other specialist batsman left is VVS Laxman. But he is crippled with a back injury.

However, there is some good news for the Indian cricket fan.u00a0 Yesterday, after the entire squad left for the hotel, Laxman batted for a while at the nets.u00a0 That was a clear indicator that the stylish Hyderabadi batsman would bat today. Recently, in Sri Lanka, it was Laxman who scored a brilliant century on the final day of the third Test to level the series. Also, his phenomenal record against Australia is another silver lining, and a reminder for the visitors that it ain't over until Laxman is out.