Tailender Peter Siddle scored a record second half-century of the match to give Australia a faint hope of victory after setting India a target of 155 to win the fourth Test.

Australia were bowled out for 164 in their second innings after lunch on Sunday’s third day of play on a raging turner in Delhi, with spin claiming nine of the 10 wickets.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja took 5-58.

The gutsy Siddle was last man out for 50 off 45 balls after scoring a career-best 51 in the first innings. It’s the first time a No.9 has made two half-centuries in a Test.

Australia are facing the possibility of losing four matches in a series for the first time since the 1978/79 Ashes.

Trailing by 10 runs on the first innings, Australia’s stand-in captain Shane Watson made the bold move of promoting second-gamer Glenn Maxwell to open with David Warner.

Jadeja bowled Maxwell (eight) in the fifth over and Warner (eight) was lbw in Jadeja’s next over.

Warner and Jadeja had clashed verbally earlier in the match and the bowler made sure he gave Warner a send-off on Sunday.

Offspinner Ravi Ashwin knocked over Phil Hughes lbw for six.

Watson dragged a pull shot onto his stumps for five as spinner Pragyan Ojha struck and Ed Cowan (24) was lbw to Jadeja at 5-53.

Watson has contributed 22 runs for the match and just 99 at an average of 16.50 for the series.

Steve Smith (18) and Mitchell Johnson (duck) fell in successive deliveries to Jadeja in the second over after lunch and Matthew Wade (19) was Ojha’s second victim at 8-122.

James Pattinson (11) and Siddle added 35 for the ninth wicket.

India’s Virat Kohli was involved in two verbal confrontations with Smith and Wade in the morning session.

Earlier, offspinner Nathan Lyon claimed career-best figures of 7-94 in India’s 272 after the home side had resumed on 8-266 in their first innings.

Australia’s regular skipper and leading batsman Michael Clarke has arrived home in Sydney for further scans on his back injury.