The old ball was reversing and Virat Kohli was chirping, but Shaun Marsh ensured India would have to produce at least the second-biggest successful chase in MCG history to keep the Border-Gavasakar series alive.
Australia's batting wobbles continued in the second innings but a half-century at the top from veteran opener Chris Rogers, and another in the middle from Marsh, stretched the home side's lead to 326 at stumps to set up an intriguing and perhaps fiery finish to the Boxing Day Test.
Australia, leading two-nil, need only to draw the Test to clinch the series, and David Warner expected they would bat on in the morning. India have to win to have a chance of levelling the series in Sydney and thus retaining the trophy.
The highest successful run chase at the MCG is 332, achieved by England against Australia in 1928-29. That is the only fourth innings chase in excess of 300 to win a Melbourne Test.
India have shown they are capable of chasing quick runs, having fallen just 48 runs short of a target of 364 in Adelaide. But so has Nathan Lyon shown he is capable of bowling Australia to victory, having done so with seven wickets in the fourth innings at Adelaide Oval.
"I think we need a few more runs that what we have got on the board at the moment," said Warner, who made a quick 40 in "excruciating" pain from his bruised arm and thumb
"We saw in the Adelaide Test how well they fought there and luckily they got the breakthrough because it could have been a different story. They would have gone one-nil up. We know what their batting line-up is like; Kohli and Rahane put on a great partnership. They had their luck but they went on with it and got big scores. That is in the back of our mind. We know the positive brand of cricket they are playing now and we have got to come out with the ball and either dry it up or take those ten wickets."
Indian off spinner Ravi Ashwin, who derived some turn from the MCG drop-in pitch, dried up the runs and collected collect two wickets, backed his side whether Australia declares or not.
"You never know – we can probably get them out or they can probably set a target for us," he said. "We're pretty open to anything. Whatever comes, we'll take it as far as possible and see what happens."
There was some variable bounce for the quicks on day four, but the biggest threat to Australia's batsmen was the reverse swing generated by Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav.
There was plenty of tension, which peaked when the cheap dismissal of debutant Joe Burns brought Brad Haddin to the crease during the extended last session.
Kohli was right there waiting for the Australian vice-captain as he took guard, chatting and clapping in his personal space. Umpire Kumar Dharmasena had a word to Kohli, who after making 169 in the first innings took his verbal sparring with the Australians off the field, claiming they had called him a spoiled brat.
Haddin later was caught behind down the leg side off the bowling off Umesh Yadav for 13. And Johnson was given a send-off by the Indian fielders after he lobbed a catch to mid-wicket.
Marsh played one of the most critical innings in his stop-start Test career. India captain MS Dhoni stacked the off side with fielders for the left-hander and he received some spiteful deliveries from Ishant.
But he lifted Ashwin into the stands to reach 50 from 112 balls and crunched a cover drive for four off Mohammed Shami soon afterwards. He was 62 not out at stumps with Ryan Harris for company.
Earlier, Australia seized a first innings lead of 65 by wrapping up the Indian tail in just 14 minutes when the tourists had added just three to their overnight score.
It took less than three overs for Australia to finish off the Indian innings for 465, continuing a pattern of poor returns for the Indian lower order.
Johnson took both wickets, with Shami caught in the slips for 12 and Yadav caught behind for a second ball duck.
Australia's runs from the lower order in this Test could prove the difference between the sides. In the first innings Australia's last four wickets produced 154 runs, compared with 31 for India.
In the first two Tests India's last four wickets produced 38, 11, 23 and 71.
Warner played through pain for 40 from 42 balls. He was out lbw to Ashwin, at which point Rogers accelerated to his fourth half-century in as many innings.
The 37-year-old has shored up his place ahead of next year's Ashes while Marsh did his own hopes of cementing a place in the order no harm.
Rogers was dropped in the slips on 33 and went on to make 69, his innings littered with crisp strokes through the covers.
Steve Smith recorded a rare failure when he tucked a ball from Yadav around the corner to leg slip on 14.
Shane Watson's dismissal, edging Ishant behind for 17, was typical of many in his career and a consequence of the Indian bowlers drying up the runs after a lunch break that was extended by rain.
