Steve Smith fell short of a second consecutive century, but he still played a pivotal role in guiding Australia to a dominant position, setting India a target of 407. India's response started on a positive note, as the opening duo shared a 71-run partnership before the breakthrough came with Shubman Gill's wicket.
Rohit Sharma put together a classy 50, but his stay at the crease was cut short by Pat Cummins. The hopes of salvaging a draw now rest heavily on the shoulders of Cheteshwar Pujara and skipper Ajinkya Rahane.
India has looked composed while chasing the 406-run target, with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill exhibiting great confidence in their batting.
The fourth day at the SCG took a sour turn on Sunday when Mohammad Siraj found himself at the center of a controversy. The pacer alerted the match officials that he had been racially abused by the crowd, shortly after the BCCI had already raised concerns regarding similar behavior.
While stationed near the boundary, Mohammad Siraj approached captain Ajinkya Rahane to report the abuse, and the two then sought out umpire Paul Reifel. It appears Siraj was targeted with verbal insults from the stands; he specifically identified the source of the abuse. This led to police intervention, resulting in several spectators being escorted out of the stadium before play was allowed to continue.