India were 45 for one at stumps in their second innings, a lead of eight runs after trailing Australia by 37 on the first innings.

Ricky Ponting (140), Michael Clarke (118) and Matthew Hayden (103) all scored centuries to steer Australia past India's first innings total of 526.

Irfan Pathan (3-112) and fellow paceman Ishant Sharma (3-115) captured three wickets each as the tourists polished off the last six Australian wickets for 73 runs after Ponting and Clarke had shared a record partnership of 210.

India need to win the match to level the series at 2-2 after losing in Melbourne and Sydney and winning in Perth, but the match appears headed for a draw with only one day left to play.

The Australians made no obvious attempt to chase quick runs to try and force a result despite Ponting and Clarke's hundreds.

The pair had come together on Saturday afternoon when Hayden departed and batted through the entire first session unscathed.

Ponting ended a lean run with the bat to chalk up his 34th Test hundred to join Brian Lara and Sunil Gavaskar in second place on the all-time list of centurymakers.

The only player to have scored more is Sachin Tendulkar, who completed his 39th hundred earlier in the match.

BACK SPASMS

The Australian skipper brought up his hundred off 183 balls when he flicked spinner Harbhajan Singh off his pads for a single but batted with a runner after lunch when he began to experience back spasms and did not field in India's second innings.

He was dismissed when he got an inside edge off Virender Sehwag onto his stumps, ending a record fourth wicket stand with Clarke for Australia against India, breaking the previous mark of 178 set by Allan Border and Dean Jones at Madras in 1986.

Clarke survived a dropped catch from Rahul Dravid on 84 to bring up his sixth test century before he was caught at second slip by VVS Laxman off Sharma, triggering a lower-order collapse.

Adam Gilchrist could manage only 14 in his farewell appearance, while Andrew Symonds (30), Brett Lee (one), Mitchell Johnson (13) and Stuart Clark (three) also missed out on big scores, leaving Brad Hogg stranded on 16 not out.

Gilchrist, who stunned the cricket world when he announced his retirement on Saturday, arrived at the crease to a standing ovation from the crowd and generous applause from the Indian players.

There were some early signs that he might produce one of his signature innings when he thumped Pathan straight down the ground for four, almost hitting umpire Billy Bowden who fell over as tried to evade the ball.

But Gilchrist lasted just 21 minutes when he drove a full toss from Pathan straight to Sehwag at cover, leaving the ground to another standing ovation in what was possibly his last Test innings.

India lost an early wicket when they started their second innings. Pathan, who had been promoted to open the batting, was trapped lbw by Johnson for a duck.