A raging turner in Delhi is playing right into the hands of India’s spinners who claimed five Australian wickets for 89 at lunch on Sunday’s day three of the fourth Test.

Australia lead by only 79 runs with five second-innings wickets in hand. Steve Smith is 17 not out with Matthew Wade on 16.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja (3-28) has dismissed David Warner for eight, Glenn Maxwell for eight and Ed Cowan for 24.

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

Second-gamer Maxwell was promoted to opener on Sunday and lasted only 14 balls.

Maxwell was bowled by Jadeja in the fifth over and Jadeja struck again in his next over when Warner was lbw.

Warner and Jadeja had clashed verbally during Jadeja’s innings on day two and the bowler made sure he gave Warner a send-off on Sunday.

Offspinner Ravi Ashwin – the leading wicket-taker in the series – knocked over Phil Hughes lbw for six at 3-41.

Stand-in skipper Shane Watson dragged a pull shot onto his stumps for five as spinner Pragyan Ojha struck and Cowan fell in the next over lbw to Jadeja at 5-53.

Watson, who is captain in this Test with skipper Michael Clarke sent home because of a back injury, has contributed 22 runs for the match and just 99 at an average of 16.50 for the series.

So much for the two-time Allan Border Medallist’s claim he would prove his worth as a specialist batsman on this tour after injuries convinced him to take a short-term break from bowling.

India’s Virat Kohli was involved in a verbal confrontation with Smith and Wade shortly before lunch and again as players left the field at the interval.

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.

Lyon, who was dropped for the second Test, is Australia’s leading wicket-taker in the series with 13 victims at 37.61.