Steve Smith and tailender Mitchell Starc were both dismissed in the 90s on Saturday as Australia were bowled out for 408 on day three of the third Test against India.
India were 0-3 from one over in their first innings at lunch in Mohali.
Starc was out for 99, falling one short of becoming only the fifth Australian batsman at No.9 or lower to score a century.
Energetic strokeplayer Smith’s chance for a Test recall came through the homeworkgate affair and the 23-year-old grabbed it with both hands with a brilliant knock of 92.
Smith was the first wicket to fall on day three, eight runs shy of his maiden century, when he propped forward and was stumped off the bowling of spinner Pragyan Ojha.
The right-hander hit 10 fours and one six in an entertaining four-hour knock and shared a crucial 97-run stand with his NSW teammate Starc, which is a record for the eighth wicket for Australia in India.
Smith departed at 8-348 with Starc on 56, but Australia’s tail continued to wag as Starc and Lyon added 51 for the ninth wicket.
A nervous Starc reached 99, one shy of his maiden hundred.
The left-hander found himself playing and missing twice in the same over from paceman Ishant Sharma. The tall right-armer claimed Starc’s wicket caught behind off the fifth ball of the over.
Sharma gave Starc a consoling pat on the back as the 23-year-old departed head down after hitting 14 boundaries from 144 deliveries.
Xavier Doherty was last man out for five as Sharma (3-72) and left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja (3-77) claimed the bowling honours for the home side.
India lead the four-match series two-nil and Australia need victories in the final two Tests to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Australia had reached 7-273 at stumps on day two after the first day’s play was washed out.
Test batsman Shane Watson, reserve batsman Usman Khawaja, Test quick James Pattinson and back-up quick Mitchell Johnson were all handed one-match suspensions this week by coach Mickey Arthur for failing to complete a homework assignment on time.
Smith had not played a Test since making his fifth appearance in January 2011.