INDIA will need to bat out the final day of the fourth Test against Australia in Brisbane to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Steve Smith made 55 as the hosts were dismissed for 294, setting India an unlikely 328 to win at the Gabba.

The impressive Mohammed Siraj took 5-73 and Shardul Thakur 4-61 for an injury-depleted India.

Openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill led India to 4-0 before rain ended play early.

Australia scored quickly on the penultimate day, motivated by a bad weather forecast and a desire to put the game out of India’s reach.

While India could still win, it is more likely that they will need to survive a minimum of 98 overs on Tuesday to ensure a 1-1 series draw.

Australia have not lost in Brisbane since West Indies beat them by nine wickets in 1988.

The highest successful chase in a Gabba Test is Australia’s 236-7 against West Indies in 1951.

India are down to the bare bones of their team, however, they have fought admirably in this series and in this Test, with Thakur and Washington Sundar’s 123-run stand on the third day keeping their side in the match.

India will be boosted, too, by another good bowling performance from Siraj, who chose to remain in India with the team after his father died in November.

The 26-year-old was not expecting to play but since making his debut in Melbourne he has taken 13 wickets at 29.53, and dismissed Smith, Marnus Labuschagne and Matthew Wade in Australia’s second innings.

Should India bat out the day, the series will be remembered as one of their bravest overseas performances.(BBC Sport)

AUSTRALIA 1st innings 369
India 1st innings 336
Australia 2nd innings
Marcus Harris c Rishabh Pant b Shardul Thakur 38
David Warner lbw Washington Sundar 48
Marnus Labuschagne c Rohit Sharma b Mohammed Siraj 25
Steven Smith c Ajinkya Rahane b Mohammed Siraj 55
Matthew Wade c Rishabh Pant b Mohammed Siraj 0
Cameron Green c Rohit Sharma b Shardul Thakur 37
Tim Paine c Rishabh Pant b Shardul Thakur 27
Pat Cummins Not Out 28
Mitchell Starc c Navdeep Saini b Mohammed Siraj 1
Nathan Lyon c Mayank Agarwal b Shardul Thakur 13
Josh Hazlewood c Shardul Thakur b Mohammed Siraj 9
Extras 5b 2lb 4nb 0pen 2w 13
Total (75.5 overs) 294 all out
Fall of Wickets : 1-89 Harris, 2-91 Warner, 3-123 Labuschagne, 4-123 Wade, 5-196 Smith, 6-227 Green, 7-242 Paine, 8-247 Starc, 9-274 Lyon, 10-294 Hazlewood
Bowling: Mohammed Siraj 19.5 – 5 – 73 – 5 (1w), T Natarajan 14 – 4 – 41 – 0 (2nb),
Washington Sundar 18 – 1 – 80 – 1, Shardul Thakur 19 – 2 – 61 – 4 (1w 1nb)
Navdeep Saini 5 – 1- 32- 0 ( 1nb).

INDIA 2nd innings
Rohit Sharma Not Out 4
Shubman Gill Not Out 0
Extras 0b 0lb 0nb 0pen 0w 0
Total (1.5 overs) 4-0

Bowling: Mitchell Starc 1 – 0 – 4 – 0, Josh Hazlewood 0.5 0 0 0 0.00