MELBOURNE: Australia's batsman Pat Cummins (R) plays a shot as India's wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant looks on during day four of the third cricket Test match between Australia and India in Melbourne yesterday. -- AFP

MELBOURNE: India
moved within two wickets of an emphatic victory in the third Test after
reducing Australia to 258 for eight at the close of day four yesterday as the
home side's batsmen suffered a familiar spate of failures.

Having set a
daunting victory target of 399 shortly before lunch, Virat Kohli's team
attacked with precision and intensity to leave Australia on life support at the
end of a muggy and overcast day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The
lion-hearted Pat Cummins thwarted India's hopes of closing out the win with a
day to spare, anchoring some stubborn tail-end resistance after the top order
crumbled.

The seamer was 61
not out, a personal best, with Nathan Lyon on six, and Australia still 141 runs
short of victory. Some rain is forecast on day five, but after dominating with
bat and ball, the tourists will almost certainly head to the Sydney finale with
a 2-1 series lead and a genuine belief they can become the first Indian team to
win a series Down Under.

"Obviously
we wanted to finish it today but our bowlers will get enough breaks and
hopefully finish it off tomorrow in the first hour," said India number
three Cheteshwar Pujara, whose 106 in the first innings was his second century
of the series. "We have a very good chance of winning the series and the
last Test match will be crucial for us. But first things first, we will look to
finish the job early tomorrow."

On a grim day for
Australian cricket, Cummins was the only shining light, impressing with the bat
after registering career-best figures of 6-27 before Kohli declared India's
second innings at 106-8 in the morning. However, the paceman's heroics will
likely be consigned to a foot-note, squandered as they were by the specialist
batsmen that came before him.

LYON'S PRIDE

Where straight
bats were required to provide a platform of resistance, Aaron Finch got his
team off to the worst possible start by throwing away his wicket for three with
an unsightly cut shot off Jasprit Bumrah that was gobbled in the slips.

Recalled
all-rounder Mitchell Marsh was similarly wasteful, slogging spinner Ravindra
Jadeja straight to Kohli at short cover to be out for 10.

Having done the
hard work to get set in his innings, Travis Head (34) fell on his sword after
tea by dragging Ishant Sharma onto his stumps with a dubious drive away from
his body. Despite assistance from Australia's poor shot selection, India
produced moments of brilliance to remove their more assured batsmen. Mohammed
Shami dismissed Usman Khawaja lbw for 33 shortly after lunch with a peach of a
delivery, before Bumrah trapped Shaun Marsh for 44 with a searing ball.

The wily Jadeja
proved a constant menace, and induced an edge off Marcus Harris (13) that
lodged in Mayank Agarwal's mid-riff. The left-arm spinner later returned to
dismiss wicketkeeper-captain Tim Paine for 26, leaving Australia to rely on
their tail and a miracle to stave off defeat. "Now our backs are up
against the wall, and Pat and I and Josh (Hazlewood) are going to come out
tomorrow and we're going to have to fight," Lyon added. "We've got to
show a lot of pride and go out there and fight our backsides off and show how
much it means to wear the baggy green cap." - Reuters