Catches win matches. Tailenders win Test cricket.

Australia’s 65-run lead over India after the first innings of the Boxing Day Test again highlights the priceless value of a lineup that bats as deep as possible.

It’s been a big theme of this series, where Australia lead 2-0.

The top order makes the big runs, but at Test level the lower order often makes the difference.

The Australian tail has wagged harder than a kelpie’s ahead of roundup.

India’s tail has been between their legs, like a dog that’s been beaten.

“Too many times we’ve seen a huge collapse from India in this series. It’s happened in every Test match,” Shane Warne said on the Nine Network.

The tourists were fighting back brilliantly on day three of the Boxing Day Test when Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane were racking up their record fourth-wicket stand of 262.

But once Rahane was dismissed, India’s comeback ground to a halt.

They lost 5-53 to be 8-462 at stumps and only added another three runs at the start of day four before the innings ended.

Now swap how the two tails have batted in this Test.

Remember, Australia were 1-0 and then 5-216 on day one.

How different would this match look had they only made about 300, then struggled against Kohli and Rahane, plus a stronger Indian lower order?

Instead, Australia rallied to reach 530.

They led by 65 and had the luxury before lunch on day four of building a solid second-innings lead.

Something will have to go badly wrong for Australia to lose, while India will have to do something massive to pull off the win.

THE TALE OF THE TAILS

* Australia’s lower order (wickets six to 10) have made 784 runs so far in this series.

* India’s have made 389 – less than half.

* India’s late-order collapses in this series:

1stTest: 6-77, 8-73

2ndTest: 6-87, 9-148

3rdTest: 7-56