Australia were made to fight for their runs as they painstakingly laid the foundation to go for the last-day kill against India in the first cricket Test which was heading for a nail-biting finish.

After the Indian tailenders led by Zaheer Khan (57 not out) stretched the first innings to 360 and narrowed down the lead to 70 runs, the visitors battled their way to 193 for five at close on the penultimate day to gain an overall lead of 263 runs.

It turned out to be engrossing contest between the bat and ball on a deteriorating Chinnaswamy track as the Australians pushed for a substantial lead to exert pressure on the hosts on the final day.

The runs were difficult to come by as the Australians kept losing wickets at regular interval but still had the upper hand in the game considering that the pitch would deteriorate further on the final day.

With just one day left, the visitors will look to add a few quick runs in the morning tomorrow before having a crack at the Indians.

Simon Katich (34) and first innings centurion Michael Hussey (31) were the notable contributors as they ensured that the Australian second did not fall into pieces.

Shane Watson (32 batting) and Brad Haddin (28 batting) added some quick runs late in the day to consolidate the position for the visitors.