India Vs Australia,3rd Test, Day 4 Highlights: Defiant Cummins helps hosts to drag match to Day 5

Melbourne, December 29: Pat Cummins emerged as the show stealer on day four of the third Test here on Saturday (December 29) in Melbourne as Australia survived for one more day in a match that has been dominated by India.

Australia were 258/8 at stumps on the fourth day of the Boxing Day Test, thanks to a defiant fifty lower-down the order from Cummins who is present unbeaten 61 (off 103 deliveries) along with Nathan Lyon (6 not out from 38 balls) the crease. The hosts are still 141 runs behind India's total of 399.

India Vs Australia, Day 4: As it happened

India, on the other hand, need two more wickets to win this game on the fifth day to go 2-1 up in the series. Indian bowlers did well to target the Australian batting line-up early on but the tail once again wagged to deny them an early win. Ravindra Jadeja (3/82) was the pick of the bowlers for India on day four while Jasprit Bumrah (2/71) and Mohammed Shami (2/71) bagged two wickets each.

Here's how the day's play progressed:

1st Session: India set a target of 399

India declare innings for 106/8

India began the day's play from their overnight total from 54/5 and declared their second innings for 106/8, setting a target of 399 for Australia to chase. No sooner than Rishabh Pant was dismissed for 33 by Josh Hazlewood, India captain Virat Kohli made the declaration giving his team exactly five and a half sessions to get the hosts all out and go 2-1 up in the series.

Pat Cummins was the pick of the bowlers for Australia as he returned with 6/27 in the second innings. The right-arm pacer returned with 8 wickets from the match.

Mayank Agarwal, the other overnight batsman, was dismissed for 42.

Mayank played some fine strokes off Nathan Lyon while Rishabh Pant (33) played his trademark T20 style game as India added 52 runs to their overnight total.

Bumrah starts the proceedings for India:

Aaron Finch's dismal form in the longer format continued as he was dismissed for a paltry 3 in the second over of the innings. Finch went after the ball going away from him to get a thick edge from his bat and an alert Virat Kohli took a sharp catch at second slip.

Marcus Harris (13) was the second Australian wicket to fall as he got an inside edge against Jadeja and the ball stuck in the hands of the Mayank, positioned at forward short-leg.

Indians kept things tight for the hosts for the remainder of the opening session even as Usman Khawaja cleared his intent that he's going to bat with attacking intent and going after Jadeja. Till lunch break, the Aussies were 44/2 as the first session was shared between the two sides.

2nd Session:

India came back strongly to dominate the second session by picking up three important Australian wickets to push the hosts on the backfoot.

First Khawaja (33) was trapped in front by Mohammed Shami and his resistance came to an abrupt end. He even went upstairs to review against the umpire's decision but in vain.

Shaun Marsh (44) and Travis Head then stitched a partnership of 51 runs for the fourth wicket as the hosts' batsmen applied themselves much better in the second innings.

Marsh looked at ease as he punished the loose deliveries and dug deep before Bumrah trapped him in front of the stumps, which was a tight call though. Had the umpire ruled in the batsman's favour he would have survived even if India reviewed it.

Mitchell Marsh (10) once again became Ravindra Jadeja's bunny as he was dismissed for the fourth time against the leg-spinner. Marsh has faced 70 balls and scored just 10 runs against the Saurashtra bowler so far.

As half of the Australian side was back into the pavilion, their captain Tim Paine walked into the middle. The focus for the time being shifted towards the stump mic as Rishabh Pant began a banter from behind the stumps.

The 21-year-old Indian glovesman, who was at the receiving end when he walked into the middle to bat, returned the favour in equal measure by teasing Paine as a 'temporary captain'.

3rd Session: Pat Cummins frustrates India

Travis Head (34) and later Paine (26) were dismissed by Ishant and Jadeja respectively to glimmer the hosts' hopes of saving this match in the final session.

The hosts were seven down and their tail was exposed and when Mitchell Starc was clean bowled for 18 by Shami, India were sniffing victory on the fourth day itself. But Cummins - who starred with the ball for Australia - had other ideas and frustrated the Indian bowlers.

Cummins ended up unbeaten at 61 after facing 103 deliveries at stumps to deny Indians their second win on a penultimate day.

Cummins showed he could be an all-rounder in the making with his impressive stroke play and looked technically sound all through his innings. The right-handed batsman showed great character and notched up his career's second half-century after emerging as the highest run-scorer from his side in the innings.

Cummins (5 fours and 1 six) along with Nathan Lyon (6* off 38 deliveries) together added 43 runs for the ninth wicket and dragged the game to the fifth day.

The Australians would now hope these two and the last batsman Josh Hazlewood bat as long as possible in the run chase. However, they still have 141 more runs to win this game while Indians require two more wickets.