Whatever India’s final target, it will no doubt spark memories of events at the Gabba in 2021 particularly with the nature of how the lower order kept them in the contest on day three. As on that occasion, they will again have to defy history: no team has ever chased a higher fourth-innings total for a win at the MCG, with the highest being England’s 332 for 7 which they achieved in 1928. A crowd of 299,329 has watched the match across the first four days, the highest-ever attendance for a Boxing Day Test.

Earlier, Nitish Kumar Reddy’s maiden century narrowed Australia’s first-innings advantage to 105. India’s new-ball bowling, with Bumrah well supported by Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep, made life extremely tough for the top order and the home side progressed at barely two-and-a-half runs an over. But at 80 for 2 – a lead of 185 – more comfortable territory was looming for Australia, only for the picture to change dramatically.

Steven Smith’s wicket sparked a collapse of 4 for 11 in three overs in the first part of the afternoon session which included Bumrah’s 200th Test wicket as he removed Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh and Alex Carey in an electric passage of play.

However, at 99 for 6 came a potentially defining moment when Labuschagne, on 46, was dropped in the gully by Yashasvi Jaiswal when he looked to glide the luckless Deep to third. Jaiswal, who had early shelled Usman Khawaja at leg gully, had a day to forget in the field as he also gave Cummins a life in the final over before tea when he missed a low chance at silly point.

Labuschagne and Cummins extended their partnership to 57, every run feeling like gold dust before Labuschagne was lbw to Siraj who had his best day of the series since Perth.

Any notion that Australia would add freely to their lead soon vanished in the morning as India bowled excellently with the new ball on a pitch offering more seam movement than previous days. This time Bumrah got the better of Sam Konstas when he seamed one through the gate and didn’t hold back in a celebration that appeared to mimic Konstas’ interactions with the crowd.

Bumrah moved the ball so much that it was sometimes impossible to hit, while both Akash and Siraj were challenging, although the former might have wanted to pitch the ball a touch fuller. The benefit of pitching up a fraction more was shown when Siraj seamed a delivery through Khawaja. At one stage during the morning session, the broadcast said that Australia’s batters had been beaten 21 times in 18 overs.

Briefly after lunch, it appeared Labuschagne and Smith, who had started the innings within 51 of 10,000 runs, were trying to increase the tempo but any thought of that was soon shut down.

Siraj opened the door when Smith chased a wide delivery, then Rohit Sharma sensed a moment and immediately brought back Bumrah who was breathtaking. With his second delivery, he had Head flicking to forward square leg and four deliveries later, he continued Marsh’s lean series with a delivery that climbed and brushed the glove. Marsh was left with 73 runs in seven innings (47 of which came in one knock) and he will likely be at the centre of much debate ahead of the Sydney Test regardless of the result here.

When Bumrah seamed one back sharply at Alex Carey, the game was threatening to be turned on its head barely 24 hours after India looked likely to concede a lead over 200. Then came Labuschagne’s reprieve and Australia breathed again.

Scoring was never free but Labuschagne constructed one of the most important innings of his career although at times could only smile when another delivery would whistle past his edge. Overs such as one from Deep that went for nine – with a boundary apiece to Labuschagne and Cummins – were like small momentum shifts.

When the pair survived Bumrah’s first spell after tea that felt like a good result for Australia, but Siraj produced a superb delivery to earn an lbw against Labuschagne that was upheld on umpire’s call.

Mitchell Starc fell to a misunderstanding with Cummins and a brilliant piece of work from Rishabh Pant who removed a glove to collect Reddy’s throw from the deep and produced a direct hit at the non-striker’s end. Cummins then edged Jadeja to slip having produced his highest runs tally in a Test.

The contributions by the lower order have made Australia favourites, although nothing feels certain.

Brief scores:
Australia 474 and 228 for 9 (Marnus Labuschagne 70, Nathan Lyon 41*; Jasprit  Bumrah 4-56, Mohamed Siraj 3-66) lead India 369 (Nitish Kumar Reddy 114, Yashasvi Jaiswal 82; Scott Boland 3-57, Pat Cummins 3-89) by 333 runs

[Cricinfo]