Australia glimpsed first Test oblivion last night before a combative stand between Shane Watson and Brad Haddin gave the tourist a chance to press for victory against India on the final day in Bangalore.

Batting again after the Indian tail had reduced the first-innings deficit to a mere 70, the Australians struggled to find momentum in the face of withering spells from pacemen Zaheer Khan (1-30) and Ishant Sharma (2-27) and a teasing one from Harbhajan Singh (2-76).

Mike Hussey's dismissal, fooled completely and bowled by Harbhajan's doosra, reduced the visitor to 5-128, a lead of only 198 with no old hands left at the tiller.

But Watson (32no) and Queanbeyan's Haddin (28no) showed the nerve to counterattack their way out of a tight spot and when stumps were drawn at 5-193 they had stretched the advantage to 263.

Playing his fourth Test, Watson also had the bowling figures of 3-45.

History will favour the tourist today for the highest fourth innings total in Tests in Bangalore is only 239 made by India when it lost to Australia in 2004.

There is one injury concern for the Australians with Stuart Clark nursing a sore elbow after being unable to bowl yesterday.

Indian captain Anil Kumble was off the field for more than 90 minutes at the start of the innings while he received treatment for what was thought to be a shoulder problem, but returned to bowl before the end of play.

Matthew Hayden's ordinary match with the bat concluded when he was lbw for 13, half-forward to a Zaheer inswinger, and Ricky Ponting (17) fought an intriguing duel with Harbhajan.

Ultimately he succumbed to some smart bowling by Sharma, who teased Ponting into flicking a slower ball to short midwicket.

Simon Katich's stolid occupation could have ended on five, when he squeezed a difficult chance to short leg from Harbhajan.

Showing a little more fluency after tea, Katich could have been expected to go on, but the ball after swinging Harbhajan over mid off and the boundary to go to 34, he played back to a top spinner that popped off the wicket and blocked it firm-handed to silly point.

Michael Clarke became the third batsman in the match to ladle a Sharma slower ball to cover.

Hussey (31) was helpless as he shouldered arms to Harbhajan only for the ball to break back dramatically and rattle the stumps.

Australian efforts to wrap up the Indian tail in a hurry were earlier delayed for 85 minutes by Zaheer, whose unbeaten 57 took the Indians to 360. AAP