A gritty 10th-wicket stand between Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland has helped frustrate India and push Australia's lead to 333 after day four of a classic Boxing Day Test.
The unlikely pair put on 55 together and batted for more than hour to survive until stumps on Sunday at the MCG, with Australia 9-228.
Indian pace sensation Jasprit Bumrah (4-56) appeared to have Lyon (41no) caught in the slips in the day's final over, but the Australian spinner was called back due to a no-ball.
Lyon and Boland (10no) have faced 107 balls in their partnership to frustrate India's push for a win that would ensure they retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy.
The match is set up for a day-five thriller, with India needing pull off the highest successful run chase at the MCG.
A victory would also make it India's third-highest successful Test run chase - eclipsing even the 328 they famously scored at the Gabba to stun Australia in 2021.
Bumrah (eight wickets for the Test) produced another classic spell to decimate Australia's top-order and give India a fighting chance of a special comeback.
The Indian pace sensation instigated a collapse of 4-11 in 21 balls after lunch, as Australia slumped from 2-80 to 6-91.
Marnus Labuschagne (70), who had a life on 46 thanks to the second of Yashasvi Jaiswal's three dropped catches, added to his 72 in the first innings to finish a calendar year without a Test century for the first time since 2018.
But Pat Cummins' knock of 41 - following his first innings 49 - was equally important, with the captain batting sensibly with the rest of the tail.
Cummins made more runs in this Test than struggling Allan Border medallist Mitch Marsh's tally for the entire series of 73.
In a frantic three-over spell after lunch, Bumrah claimed the wickets of Travis Head (1), Marsh (0) and Alex Carey (2), giving him figures for that period of 3-4.
The dismissal of Head, a soft catch to square leg, was Bumrah's 200th Test wicket.
The 31-year-old reached the 200-wicket milestone with a better career average - 19.56 - than any bowler in history.
Bumrah has 29 of the 63 wickets India has taken during this Border-Gavaskar series at a measly average of 12.34.
Before lunch, Bumrah exacted revenge on Sam Konstas for the teenage debutant's Boxing Day ramp-fest.
After writing himself into Boxing Day folklore with an audacious 60 on Thursday, Konstas was out for eight in his second Test innings when Bumrah bowled him between bat and pad.
The 19-year-old has enjoyed every minute of his Test debut, interacting with the crowd, and taking selfies with spectators.
When Bumrah dismissed Konstas, the world's No.1 Test bowler threw his hands up in the air to the strong Indian contingent sitting in the Ponsford Stand - a celebration seemingly mimicking what Konstas had been doing with the crowd while fielding.
Veteran opener Usman Khawaja avoided falling victim to Bumrah for the sixth time in the series, but just when he looked set the left-hander was bowled by Mohammed Siraj for 21.
Siraj shushed the crowd, having been booed by Australian fans since giving Travis Head a send-off in Adelaide. The fiery quick ended the day with 3-66 after also taking the key scalps of Labuschagne and Steve Smith (13).
A brilliant maiden century from Nitish Kumar Reddy powered India past the follow-on target on Saturday, after the tourists were in trouble at 5-164 in reply to Australia's 474.
Reddy, just 21 and playing in his fourth Test, helped India add another 11 runs to their overnight score of 9-358.
Scott Boland was the pick of Australia's bowlers with 3-57 from 27 overs.
Australia bowled 120 overs at India as the effects of a gruelling series appear to take their toll on Mitchell Starc, who had treatment on his back on Saturday.
This Test is set to go five days, a rarity in modern cricket in Australia, meaning the players will have only three days off before the finale at the SCG.
With the five-match series tied 1-1, India will retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy if they pull off an extraordinary comeback victory in this Test.
Reserve batter Josh Inglis has been ruled out for the rest of the series after suffering a calf strain while fielding on day two.
The unlikely pair put on 55 together and batted for more than hour to survive until stumps on Sunday at the MCG, with Australia 9-228.
Indian pace sensation Jasprit Bumrah (4-56) appeared to have Lyon (41no) caught in the slips in the day's final over, but the Australian spinner was called back due to a no-ball.
Lyon and Boland (10no) have faced 107 balls in their partnership to frustrate India's push for a win that would ensure they retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy.
The match is set up for a day-five thriller, with India needing pull off the highest successful run chase at the MCG.
A victory would also make it India's third-highest successful Test run chase - eclipsing even the 328 they famously scored at the Gabba to stun Australia in 2021.
Bumrah (eight wickets for the Test) produced another classic spell to decimate Australia's top-order and give India a fighting chance of a special comeback.
The Indian pace sensation instigated a collapse of 4-11 in 21 balls after lunch, as Australia slumped from 2-80 to 6-91.
Marnus Labuschagne (70), who had a life on 46 thanks to the second of Yashasvi Jaiswal's three dropped catches, added to his 72 in the first innings to finish a calendar year without a Test century for the first time since 2018.
But Pat Cummins' knock of 41 - following his first innings 49 - was equally important, with the captain batting sensibly with the rest of the tail.
Cummins made more runs in this Test than struggling Allan Border medallist Mitch Marsh's tally for the entire series of 73.
In a frantic three-over spell after lunch, Bumrah claimed the wickets of Travis Head (1), Marsh (0) and Alex Carey (2), giving him figures for that period of 3-4.
The dismissal of Head, a soft catch to square leg, was Bumrah's 200th Test wicket.
The 31-year-old reached the 200-wicket milestone with a better career average - 19.56 - than any bowler in history.
Bumrah has 29 of the 63 wickets India has taken during this Border-Gavaskar series at a measly average of 12.34.
Before lunch, Bumrah exacted revenge on Sam Konstas for the teenage debutant's Boxing Day ramp-fest.
After writing himself into Boxing Day folklore with an audacious 60 on Thursday, Konstas was out for eight in his second Test innings when Bumrah bowled him between bat and pad.
The 19-year-old has enjoyed every minute of his Test debut, interacting with the crowd, and taking selfies with spectators.
When Bumrah dismissed Konstas, the world's No.1 Test bowler threw his hands up in the air to the strong Indian contingent sitting in the Ponsford Stand - a celebration seemingly mimicking what Konstas had been doing with the crowd while fielding.
Veteran opener Usman Khawaja avoided falling victim to Bumrah for the sixth time in the series, but just when he looked set the left-hander was bowled by Mohammed Siraj for 21.
Siraj shushed the crowd, having been booed by Australian fans since giving Travis Head a send-off in Adelaide. The fiery quick ended the day with 3-66 after also taking the key scalps of Labuschagne and Steve Smith (13).
A brilliant maiden century from Nitish Kumar Reddy powered India past the follow-on target on Saturday, after the tourists were in trouble at 5-164 in reply to Australia's 474.
Reddy, just 21 and playing in his fourth Test, helped India add another 11 runs to their overnight score of 9-358.
Scott Boland was the pick of Australia's bowlers with 3-57 from 27 overs.
Australia bowled 120 overs at India as the effects of a gruelling series appear to take their toll on Mitchell Starc, who had treatment on his back on Saturday.
This Test is set to go five days, a rarity in modern cricket in Australia, meaning the players will have only three days off before the finale at the SCG.
With the five-match series tied 1-1, India will retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy if they pull off an extraordinary comeback victory in this Test.
Reserve batter Josh Inglis has been ruled out for the rest of the series after suffering a calf strain while fielding on day two.
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