Perth, Jan 15 (IANS): India were on the brink of defeat in the third Test, with 165 for six at lunch on day three at the WACA Ground here Sunday, needing another 43 runs to make Australia bat again.
India, resuming on 88 for four, lost Rahul Dravid (47) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (2) in the session while Virat Kohli scored his maiden fifty of the series and remained unbeaten on 69. He was joined by R. Vinay Kumar (6) at the crease.
Dravid and Kohli shared 84 runs for the fifth wicket and withstood the pressure created by Australian bowlers for more than an hour.
Ryan Harris (1/34) set Dravid nicely for the hosts' first breakthrough of the day. After beating Dravid's bat several times with away going deliveries, Harris got one back in sharply that went through the gate to rattle the stumps. It was the eighth time in the last ten innings when Dravid saw his stumps disturbed.
Dhoni fell soon after to make it 148 for six.
Kolhi got his fifty with a beautiful flick off Mitchell Starc's bowling.