Mitchell Starc in worrying fallout as epic Indian stand exposes ominous Jasprit Bumrah detail

An injury concern for pace spearhead Mitchell Starc and India's stunning rearguard display on day three of the fourth Test could spell trouble for Australia in the Border-Gavaskar series. And veteran commentator Harsha Bhogle warns that India's epic eight-wicket partnership for maiden centurion Nitish Kumar Reddy (105 not out) and Washington Sundar (50) has allowed Aussie tormentor Jasprit Bumrah vital recovery time ahead of the second innings.

Australia looked poised to take a big first innings lead on Saturday until Reddy belted his first ton in Test cricket and shared in a 127-run partnership with Sundar that was just two runs off being an Indian record for an eighth-wicket stand against Australia. It means the Indians will resume day four on 9-358, still trailing Australia by 116 runs after rain ended day three early, meaning play will start 30 minutes earlier at 10am (AEDT) on Sunday.

The Aussies will be hoping to grab their final wicket quickly before setting about the task of making quick runs to give them the best chance possible of taking another 10 wickets necessary for victory. With only two days remaining it will be a massive challenge for Pat Cummins' men and one that has potentially been made even harder after star paceman Starc suffered what appeared to be a back injury.

“He’s okay. He just had a bit of a niggle somewhere in his back or rib, I don’t know, somewhere back there, but he came out after the break and was bowling 140km/h, so I think he’s going to be fine,” Boland said after stumps on Saturday. “He’s someone who can play through a lot of pain, and you can probably tell (that because) he’s played close to 90 Test matches now. And as a fast bowler, there’s not many games where you do play without any niggle at all. He’s someone who can still bowl at the same pace even when he is really sore, which is a great trait to have.”

Starc received treatment on his back on day three, but continued to bowl at top pace for the final session. But as much as Boland tried to play down concerns around his fellow quick, the reality is Starc has toiled away for 25 overs in this Test, backing up from the 24 he bowled in Brisbane. And he'll be vital to Australia's hopes of bowling India out in their second innings and securing a crucial victory to go 2-1 up in the series.

Mitchell Starc injury a concern for remainder of Test series

There is obviously a big risk of Starc's injury worsening during the second innings, which would be a massive blow to Australia's hopes of winning the Test. But it's also a major concern ahead of the fifth and final Test, with Starc getting just two days' rest before the finale gets underway at the SCG.

With fellow quick Josh Hazlewood's injury ruling him out of the series, there is added responsibility on Starc and Cummmins to lead Australia's bowling attack. Boland has also impressed after coming in to replace Hazlewood but veteran spinner Nathan Lyon and all-rounder Mitch Marsh have both failed to make much of an impact after being sparingly so far this series, leaving Australia with some big questions to answer.

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India's epic stand vital to Jasprit Bumrah's recovery

India's epic rearguard on Saturday - led by maiden Test centurion Reddy - has also allowed their best bowler Bumrah to get some valuable rest. Reddy's father was captured being brought to tears in the MCG stands on Saturday watching his son score a fairytale first Test ton and veteran commentator Bhogle warned that the epic eighth-wicket stand with Sundar has played perfectly into the hands of leading wicket-taker Bumrah.

“My fear at one point in Brisbane was that this could go downhill very quickly but the last 30 overs in Brisbane, India played well and avoided the follow on and took a few Aussie wickets,” he told Fox Sports. "When Australia got 474, I thought, ‘Hang on. Bumrah can’t be bowling 20 to 30 overs like this.’ But what this partnership with Reddy and Washington has done is give Bumrah time to rest, time to relax. It’s also taken a lot of time out of this Test.

“Australia is still well ahead... but India is showing we can fight, which is a good sign. I was worried that, like in a tug of war, suddenly there might be a situation where you just throw in the towel and lose the next two Tests. I’m happy that has not happened.”