MOHALI: India regained much of the ground by claiming four wickets in the final session as Australia failed to capitalise on a century opening partnership in the third Test here at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium on Friday.

After the first day’s play on Thursday was washed out, Australia reached 273 for seven with Steve Smith (58) and Mitchell Starc (20) at the crease.

Ravindra Jadeja proved to be the surprise package for India with three wickets, including two in two deliveries, while Ishant Sharma’s late burst pushed Australia on the backfoot after Ed Cowan and David Warner shared a 139-run partnership after Michael Clarke opted to bat first.

Cowan silenced the critics with a dogged 86, consuming 238 balls. Warner made a fluent 71 off 147 balls with help of nine fours. Cowan found the fence eight times.

The openers’ efforts, though, were a bit undone with the loss of seven wickets in the final two sessions of play.

Sharma had Brad Haddin and Moises Henriques bowled to reduce Australia to 244-6 late into the final session of play.

Jadeja returned and immediately had Peter Siddle trapped in front of the wicket.

Making a comeback after more than two years in the wilderness, Smith stood firm and showed the right mix of aggression and resolve against the Indian spinners.

After Cowan departed, caught by Virat Kohli at slip off Ravichandran Ashwin, it was left to Smith to ensure that Australia carry on the fight in this must-win game.

Smith, 23, did his job admirably, adding crucial runs with Haddin for the fifth wicket, which frustrated the Indians for a while before Sharma struck.

In the second session, Jadeja got the wickets of Warner and Clarke for naught while Pragyan Ojha accounted for Phillip Hughes, as Australia reached 180-3 at tea.

The Cowan-Warner stand, incidentally, is also Australia’s best partnership for the opening wicket on this ground, eclipsing the 87-run stand set by Shane Watson and Simon Katich in 2010.

After having Warner caught by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who ran forward after the ball looped off the batsman’s bat-pad, Jadeja bagged the most important wicket of Clarke, who was stumped by Dhoni off the first ball Australian captain faced.

The ball turned away sharply on landing, and an over-confident Clarke made the mistake by stepping out straightaway.

Twelve overs later, Ojha had Hughes caught down the leg-side by Dhoni, ending the left-hander’s yet another miserable stay at the crease.

India could have added one more wicket, but Kohli at first slip dropped an edge that Ojha induced off Cowan.

Opting to bat after Clarke won the toss for the third time in the series, Australia were served well by Warner and Cowan, even as the Indian bowlers looked for wickets on a surface that is likely to assist spinners in coming days.

Earlier, India included Shikhar Dhawan the 27-year-old left-hander who was handed his maiden Test cap by his illustrious team-mate Sachin Tendulkar.

India made two changes to the squad, bringing in Ojha in place of Harbhajan Singh and Dhawan for the dropped Virender Sehwag.

Australia brought in Haddin, Starc, Smith and Nathan Lyon in place of the injured Matthew Wade and suspended James Pattinson, Shane Watson and Glenn Maxwell.—Agencies