Australia have almost avoided an innings defeat after reaching 3-163 at tea on day three of their three-day tour match against India A on Monday.
Australia resumed on 4-131 and were skittled for 235 in their first innings as spinners Rakesh Dhurv (5-51) and Jajaj Saxena (4-61) claimed nine wickets between them.
Shane Watson top-scored in Australia’s first innings with 84 off 87 balls and the Test vice-captain was prominent again in the second dig, hitting 60 from 63 deliveries.
Watson and Ed Cowan (53) added 104 for the first wicket on Monday – their second century partnership of the match – before Watson was run out and Cowan was caught at cover four runs later to Saxena.
Phil Hughes (19) was bowled by Dhurv in the final over before tea in Australia’s second innings, as the left-hander produced just 20 runs in two hits in the tourists’ only first-class fixture before Friday’s first Test.
Usman Khawaja is 16 not out and Matthew Wade is one not out.
Australia still trail by 53 runs with seven second-innings wickets in hand.
India A captain Gautam Gambhir enforced the follow-on after Australia were bowled out for 235 in reply to the home side’s 451.
Ashton Agar will head home on Monday night to resume state duties with Western Australia, ruling the 19-year-old out of a shock call-up for the first Test.
The left-arm spinner claimed 3-107 in India A’s first innings in just his third first-class game.
Australia’s four-Test series against India starts on Friday at Chennai’s Chidambaram Stadium.