All-rounder James Hopes has become the third Australian player forced home from the limited-overs tour of India due to injury, failing to recover from a hamstring strain.
He will depart as Victorian paceman Clinton McKay arrives, having been chosen by the national selectors as the man to replace Brett Lee, who arrived home early yesterday.
Hopes damaged his hamstring during the first match of the series in Vadodara and tried vainly to recover until medical staff decided there was little point keeping him in India.
NSW all-rounder Moises Henriques had already been called up as cover for Hopes and played in the third match at New Delhi.
McKay, meanwhile, has earned a deserved chance having produced consistently for Victoria since his debut in 2006.
He will arrive in time to be considered for game five in Hyderabad.
Captain Ricky Ponting's makeshift visit to the top of the batting order in the tourists' six-wicket loss early yesterday may yet develop into something more lasting.
Having previously opened only once in his long career, against Zimbabwe at Harare in 1999, Ponting made 59 and looked at home alongside Shane Watson in painfully slow conditions at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground.
Although the Australians were unable to defend their total of 5-229 due to an exceptional stand of 148 between man of the match Yuvraj Singh (78) and captain M.S.Dhoni (70no), Ponting's contribution will give the selectors pause for thought ahead of the 2011 World Cup, also on the subcontinent.
At the very least, Ponting indicated he would be likely to maintain the spot for the rest of this series, starting with today's fourth match in Chandigarh.
Either Cameron White or Mike Hussey would take Ponting's place at No3, depending on who was bowling at the time.
All this leaves more-regular opener Shaun Marsh on the outer, essentially because the inclusion of another batsman would leave Ponting with one less bowling option.
''The reason I opened in the game was for team balance,'' Ponting said. ''I'm obviously the most experienced player in our side and to put one of the other guys up to open the innings I thought would have been more of a challenge for them than it would be for me. If it looks like everyone's fit and ready for the next game there's probably every chance that I'll open again.''
Ponting was considered, careful, but still dangerous, so the Indians celebrated with particular fervour when Ponting was out lbw to a Jadeja delivery that struck him near the boot in line with off stump.
Hussey (81 not out) produced another effort of quality to go with half centuries in the first two matches, using all his ingenuity to keep the runs ticking over if not quite flowing.
Replacement Australian wicketkeeper Graham Manou endured a torrid match as he adjusted to the low bounce just 24hours after landing in India, but fellow inclusion Doug Bollinger (0-26 from 10 tidy overs) was arguably the pick of the visiting attack.
Meanwhile, India has called up Dinesh Karthik as cover for Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag, who picked up injuries in game three.
Gambhir was struck in the neck while fielding at short leg, while Sehwag required treatment on the field after a full delivery from Peter Siddle crashed into his ankle.
The Indians lead the seven-match series 2-1. AAP
TONIGHT
Fourth one-day international: India v Australia at PCA Stadium, Mohali, 8pm. TV time: Live on Fox Sports3 from 7.30pm.