Michael Clarke was not out this time but Ishant Sharma had the Australian vice-captain caught behind soon after. .
AUSTRALIA may have squandered its advantage in a drama-packed morning at Mohali.
The visitors have slipped to 3-100, a lead of 123 at lunch on the fourth day.
Ricky Ponting's side lost 3-12 in three overs thanks to a wonderful and extraordinary spell of bowling by Ishant Sharma.
The tall Indian has struggled with injury and battled to find his rhythm in the match, but got it all together in his second spell of the morning.
Shane Watson had raced to 56 from 59 balls but became Sharma's first victim when he bottom edged a pull shot onto his stumps with the score on 87.
Four balls later Ricky Ponting was gone. The captain has been working on the pull shot in the lead up to the match but was brought undone again by a former strength that is fast becoming his weakness.
He appeared to decide on the stroke late and scooped it straight to Suresh Raina at backward square. Ponting scored just four runs from his four balls.
Sharma then had Michael Clarke caught from the next ball, caught close to the wicket.
The Australian vice captain headed off, the Indians celebrated and then everybody stopped.
Billy Bowden had called for a review (there is no player review in the series because India objects). The umpire wanted to check if it was a no ball. It was.
It was the 14th time the bowler had overstepped the mark in the match.
Clarke did not, however, make the most of his reprieve and was caught behind two overs later attempting to get out of the way of a short ball from Sharma.
It was an extraordinary effort by the bowler to summon life from the flat deck and he headed to lunch with the figures of 3-25 and the knowledge he may have turned the game back in India's favour.
A bewildered Simon Katich is undefeated on 24 and Michael Hussey is yet to get off the mark.
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