Brisbane, Dec 20 (IANS): India fought back and picked up two early wickets but Australia are still on course to win, needing 103 more runs for victory at tea on day four of the second Test at the Gabba here Saturday.

After being bowled out for 224, India reduced Australia to 25 for two with pacer Ishant Sharma taking both the wickets.

The hosts, however, are still favourites to take a 2-0 lead in the four-match series having being set a meagre target of 128.

Chris Rogers (batting 15) and captain Steve Smith (batting 2) were the unbeaten batsmen at the crease.

The day so far has belonged to the Australian bowlers, who were on fire in the morning session.

Shikhar Dhawan (81) fought valiantly, even stringing together a 60-run partnership with Umesh Yadav (30) for the eighth wicket but it came too late in the day for the visitors.

Earlier, a dismal batting performance by the Indians saw them collapsing to 157 for seven, leading by just 60 runs, at lunch.

It all went wrong for the Indians on the fourth morning.

Overnight batsman Shikhar Dhawan was injured after he was hit on the wrist while batting in the nets and didn't come out to bat.

Cheteshwar Pujara (43) came out to bat with Virat Kohli (1) and things just kept getting worse for the Indians after that.

Kohli never seemed prepared and was very tentative and was ultimately castled by Mitchell Johnson, who drew first blood.

Johnson was all over India after that; bowling with pace and menace on a pitch that was beginning to get a little difficult to bat on.

India went from 71 for one to 87 for five, to all but hand Australia the match.

There were a couple of short partnerships between Pujara and Ravichandran Ashwin (19) and Pujara and the returning Dhawan, but nothing substantial enough to stem the tide of Australian dominance.

Johnson was back at his best, with Shane Watson and the five-wicket hero from the first innings -- debutant pacer Josh Hazlewood right on the money too.

Mitchell Starc was a little wayward as always, but bowled a good ball to get Ashwin out.

That decision looked a little iffy, as did Mahendra Singh Dhoni's lbw.

India, meanwhile, came out with a statement complaining about the practice nets, which they feel have been uneven. The Indians said that they had been requesting for fresh pitches for the last two days, but they had only got used pitches to practice on.