India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj celebrates the wicket of Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne on day four of the fourth Test at the Gabba in Brisbane . ©AFP Patrick HAMILTON

Brisbane (Australia) (AFP) – Australia will look to set up a declaration in the final session Monday after moving to 243 for seven at tea on the fourth day of an enthralling fourth Test against India at the Gabba, an overall lead of 276 runs.

At the tea break, which came eight minutes early when rain began to fall, Pat Cummins was on two and Mitchell Starc one after a session that saw the fall of Steve Smith for 55, Cameron Green (37) and Tim Paine (27).

Australia are still in the box seat to win the Test, which they need to do to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

But as India have shown since their disastrous capitulation in the first Test in Adelaide when they were bowled out for 36, they are never out of the contest.

They came back and won the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne then batted for more than day to draw Sydney’s third Test.

With more rain forecast for Monday afternoon and on Tuesday, India will feel they can save this Test, if not win it, if they can run through the rest of the batting order.

They claimed four wickets in the morning session to peg back a flying start by Australians with David Warner and Marcus Harris taking advantage of some poor bowling to score freely.

They added 68 runs off 19 overs when, with the score on 89, Harris fell for 38 when he tried to duck a Shardul Thakur short ball only for the ball to graze his glove on the way through to keeper Rishabh Pant.

It prompted a mini-collapse as two runs later debutant Washington Sundar trapped Warner lbw for 48, the Australian opener’s highest score since his return from a groin strain in the third Test in Sydney.

First innings century-maker Marnus Labuschagne came to the crease and continued to attack, blasting five boundaries on his way to a quickfire 25 before he was straightened up by a Mohammed Siraj delivery and edged a simple catch to Rohit Sharma at second slip.

Siraj, who was expensive in his early overs, then had Matthew Wade caught behind down the leg side for a duck three balls later to leave Australia struggling at 123 for four.

Smith and Green were able to prevent the inexperienced Indian attack from making any further inroads in the 30 minutes before lunch and after the resumption they began to take the game away from the visitors.

Both had let-offs, Smith dropped at long-off by Siraj on 38 while Green survived a caught and bowled by the same bowler on 14.

But Siraj made amends when he got one to leap into Smith’s glove with the former Australian captain on 55, while Thakur (3-41) continued his good match with the wickets of Green and Paine.

Disclaimer: Validity of the above story is for 7 Days from original date of publishing. Source: AFP.