All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy was 40 not out, with Washington Sundar on five at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as India's faint hopes of saving the test rested on rearguard resistance.
A Nathan Lyon breakthrough and some misplaced aggression by Rishabh Pant left India 244 for seven at lunch on day three of the fourth test on Saturday, still 31 runs short of avoiding the follow-on.