By Tristan Lavalette

PERTH (Reuters) – Australia need five wickets in the second Test to secure a series-levelling victory as India teetered in their daunting chase on a menacing pitch on Monday.

Chasing 287 runs after closing out Australia’s second innings for 243, India finished day four on 112 for five with Hanuma Vihari 24 not out and Rishabh Pant unbeaten on nine.

Struggling on the Perth Stadium pitch marked by widening cracks, India made a poor start losing the key wickets of Lokesh Rahul for a fourth-ball duck and Cheteshwar Pujara, their first test hero in Adelaide, for four.

India’s faint hopes rested on captain Virat Kohli who counter-attacked with several flowing drives in reminiscent fashion to his masterful first innings of 123.

Kohli combined with opener Murali Vijay to stabilise India before he edged a straight Nathan Lyon delivery to Usman Khawaja at slip for 17, sparking scenes of jubilation from the Australian players.

The off-spinner claimed the India talisman for a record seventh time, the most by a bowler, and in his next over bowled Vijay for 20 off an inside edge.

Ajinkya Rahane played his strokes and combined well with Vihari before the India vice-captain fell just before stumps, slashing a Josh Hazlewood delivery straight to point for 30.

“We are excited to come back tomorrow, but there is a little bit of work to be done,” Hazlewood told reporters. “We just have to stay disciplined and patient. There is enough there in the wicket, we just need to hit the right areas.”

Emotions were frayed at times on the pivotal day four with Australia captain Tim Paine and his counterpart Kohli involved in a heated exchange in the first session forcing umpire Chris Gaffaney to step in.

“Without the banter on field, there is no fun in cricket,” India quick Mohammed Shami said.

The bowling onslaught has Australia on the cusp of snapping a barren six-test run without a win and providing Paine with his first triumph as skipper.

Australia’s bowlers regained firm control of the match after their batsmen had crumbled against Shami in the middle session.

After a wicketless morning session, India came alive through blistering short-pitched bowling from Shami, who made the ball steeple off the deteriorating wicket to finish with a career-best 6-56.

Australia spectacularly lost four wickets for six runs starting with Paine (37) falling to a vicious short ball from Shami, which spat off the pitch hitting the glove and ballooned to slip.

Shami was on a hat-trick when he had Aaron Finch caught behind down the leg-side in a fleeting resumption for the opener.

Finch retired hurt on day three on 25 after being struck on the glove by a searing short ball from Shami but X-Rays cleared him of serious injury to his right index finger.

Shami was denied the hat-trick but soon claimed his fifth wicket with another menacing bouncer that caught Khawaja’s glove to be caught behind for 72.

Australia’s lead was 250 before Hazlewood (17 not out) and Mitchell Starc (14) added an invaluable 36 runs for the last wicket.

The pyrotechnics contrasted a sedate morning session dominated by Australia, who grabbed control of a fluctuating match with Khawaja and Paine batting through to lunch.

FIVE WICKETS..
AUSTRALIA 1st innnigs 326, India 1st innings 283

Australia 2nd innings o/n 123-4
Marcus Harris b Jasprit Bumrah 20
Aaron Finch c Rishabh Pant b Mohammed Shami 25
Usman Khawaja c Rishabh Pant b Mohammed Shami 72
Shaun Marsh c Rishabh Pant b Mohammed Shami 5
Peter Handscomb lbw Ishant Sharma 13
Travis Head c Ishant Sharma b Mohammed Shami 19
Tim Paine c Virat Kohli b Mohammed Shami 37
Pat Cummins b Jasprit Bumrah 1
Mitchell Starc b Jasprit Bumrah 14
Nathan Lyon c Hanuma Vihari b Mohammed Shami 5
Josh Hazlewood Not Out 17
Extras 8b 3lb 0nb 0pen 4w 15
Total (93.2 overs) 243 all out
Fall of Wickets : 1-59 Harris, 2-64 Marsh, 3-85 Handscomb, 4-120 Head, 5-192 Paine, 6-192 Finch, 7-198 Khawaja, 8-198 Cummins, 9-207 Lyon, 10-243 Starc
Bowling: Ishant Sharma 16 – 1 – 45 – 1, Jasprit Bumrah 25.2 – 10 – 39 – 3,
Mohammed Shami 24 – 8 – 56 – 6 ( 2w), Umesh Yadav 14 – 0 – 61 – 0 ( 2w)
Hanuma Vihari 14 – 4 – 31 – 0.

INDIA 2nd innings
Lokesh Rahul b Mitchell Starc 0
Murali Vijay b Nathan Lyon 20
Cheteshwar Pujara c Tim Paine b Josh Hazlewood 4
Virat Kohli c Usman Khawaja b Nathan Lyon 17
Ajinkya Rahane c Travis Head b Josh Hazlewood 30
Hanuma Vihari Not Out 24
Rishabh Pant Not Out 9
Extras 6b 0lb 0nb 0pen 2w 8
Total (41.0 overs) 112-5
Fall of Wickets : 1-0 Rahul, 2-13 Pujara, 3-48 Kohli, 4-55 Vijay, 5-98 Rahane
To Bat : Sharma, Shami, Yadav, Bumrah
Bowling: Mitchell Starc 10 – 2 – 28 – 1 (1w), Josh Hazlewood 11 – 3 – 24 – 2,
Pat Cummins 8 – 0- 24 – 0 (1w), Nathan Lyon 12 – 2 – 30 – 2.