Australia survived another exceptional spell from Jasprit Bumrah to end a thrilling fourth day of the fourth Test versus India with a 333-run lead.
Bumrah put Australia on the back foot during their second innings, taking 4-56 as he ripped through the middle order to leave the hosts teetering at 91-6.
After Nitish Kumar Reddy's maiden red-ball century had narrowed Australia's first-innings lead to 105, India set about doing damage with the ball.
Having earlier ripped through Sam Konstas for eight runs, Bumrah added three more wickets in a devastating spell that saw India dismiss four in the space of 21 deliveries.
He brought up his 200th Test wicket when Travis Head (1) flicked his ball through to Reddy, then had Mitchell Marsh (0) taken and cleaned up Alex Carey (2) within three overs.
44 - With bowling figures of 4/56* in the ongoing second innings vs #Australia, @Jaspritbumrah93 (202 wickets*) became the joint second fastest #TeamIndia bowler to reach the 200-wicket mark in men's #Tests (44th match) behind @ashwinravi99 (37 matches). Milestone. #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/z6a6EPyUBY
— OptaJeev (@OptaJeev) December 29, 2024
Having been left reeling by that middle-order collapse, Australia had their lower-order batsmen to thank for dragging them to a respectable target.
Marnus Labuschagne dug in for 70 while captain Pat Cummins scored 41, with both men fortunate to be dropped by Yashasvi Jaiswal midway through their knocks.
Nathan Lyon (41*) also benefitted from being dropped on five to put on a brave last-wicket partnership with Scott Boland (10*). The former appeared to have become Bumrah's fifth victim of the day in the final over, only for the umpire's decision of no-ball to let him off the hook.
They will resume at the crease on Monday, with India facing a tall order if they are to inch ahead in the series, which is locked at 1-1 after three matches.
Data Debrief: India need something special
India must make history if they are to win the Melbourne Test. The highest fourth-innings total ever successfully chased at the Melbourne Cricket Ground came all the way back in 1928, when England chased 332 in another Boxing Day Test.
They will hope to take inspiration from their memorable victory at The Gabba back in 2021, but even their fourth-innings score of 329-7 from that match will not be enough here, before any late runs Lyon and Boland are able to tag on in the morning.
Bumrah did his best to keep India in sight on Sunday, bringing up 200 wickets in 44 Tests. Only Ravichandran Ashwin (37) has done so in fewer matches for India.
