Clinical India leave Australia battling to stay in third Test

MELBOURNE

Australia was battling to stay in the third Test Friday after a clinical India tightened their grip, taking seven wickets to be in a commanding position at tea on day three.

Once again the home team's top order collapsed as the Melbourne pitch started to show signs of wear and tear, leaving them at 145 for seven, trailing by 298 runs and struggling to avoid the follow on.

Skipper Tim Paine was not out 22 and Mitchell Starc on five, with pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah the pick of the bowlers with 3-32.

None of Australia's top six could muster more than 22, again exposing how much they miss the banned Steve Smith and David Warner.

Talk surrounding the pair's reintegration into the team reached a crescendo this week after Smith and Cameron Bancroft gave tell-all interviews about the South Africa ball-tampering scandal, effectively blaming Warner.

Their bans run out in late March.

In overcast conditions, Australia began the day with eight runs on the scoreboard after surviving six nervy overs on Thursday following India's daunting 443-7 declaration.

Cheteshwar Pujara's 106 and Virat Kohli's 82 provided the backbone to India's innings on what was then a flat track as they eye a crucial 2-1 lead in the four-Test series.

But with the pitch deteriorating, it wasn't long before the bowlers took advantage.

Aaron Finch smashed a four off Bumrah in a positive start but once again Australia's limited overs captain failed as a Test opener.

He was on eight when he feebly chipped an Ishant Sharma delivery to debutant Mayank Agarwal at short midwicket, who took a difficult diving catch.

That brought Usman Khawaja to the crease, just hours after his brother was re-arrested for allegedly breaching bail and charged with trying to influence a witness.

Arsalan Khawaja had been detained earlier this month, then bailed, after being accused of framing a love rival as the author of a terrorist hit list.

Khawaja was only at the wicket for a short time before Australia's other opener Marcus Harris also fell, plunging the home team into strife at 36 for two.

After looking in good touch on his way to 22, Harris inexplicably attempted a hook shot off a Bumrah bouncer but instead top-edged it to Sharma at fine leg.

Khawaja didn't last much longer, despondently trudging off for 21 after Agarwal took another catch close in off spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who is starting to find the rough and cause problems.

Shaun Marsh was then deceived on the last ball of the morning by some late swing from Bumrah to be plum lbw.

The afternoon didn't get any better with Travis Head's stumps knocked over by a swinging and quick Bumrah delivery four overs into the session, and he was gone for 20.

Mitchell Marsh tickled a Jadeja delivery to Ajinkya Rahane at slip when he was on nine and Pat Cummins departed shortly before tea, leaving Australia's fate in the hands of Paine and Starc.