Live coverage of day four of Australia's third Test with India from the MCG

Aaron Finch and Mitchell Marsh are in danger of losing their spots for the series finale in Sydney as Pat Cummins defied an Indian victory with a superb half century that embarrassed his batting teammates.

Australia survives to the final day thanks to Pat Cummins.

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Australian cricket has been dumped back at the crossroads following hostile calls for another dramatic revamp of the shambolic top order.

Aaron Finch and Mitchell Marsh are facing the axe for the series finale in Sydney, where Australia must win if they’re to prevent a chastening place in the history books with India charging towards its first ever Test series triumph down under.

Australia’s one shining light Pat Cummins (61 not out) defied an Indian victory with a superb half century, which embarrassed his batting teammates, outlasting the taking of another half hour and a second new ball.

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But only a monsoon can save Australia now at 8-258 and 141 behind, with Virat Kohli’s side needing only two wickets on the final day to secure the Border-Gavaskar trophy and head to Sydney 2-1 up.

Touted as Test captain only months ago, Finch’s red ball career is hanging by a thread and his only salvation may be an immediate demotion down the order after the embattled opener made a meek surrender in front of his home crowd.

Marsh’s return to the set-up may also last just one match, after former Test star Simon Katich made the damning prediction that the vice-captain and enigmatic all-rounder will be joining Finch on the sidelines for Sydney.

The call is on for mass changes, but until Steve Smith and David Warner’s ball-tampering suspensions lift in late March, the cupboard is depressingly bare.

Marnus Labuschagne is understood to be on the cusp of a recall, while Queensland opener Joe Burns also has plenty of support, particularly given he is proven at Test level with three tons in 14 Tests.

Aaron Finch fell cheaply again. Picture: Michael Klein

Travis Head threw his wicket away in all too familiar fashion, as Australia looked to slump to its first MCG Test in 30 years without a single batsman making a 50, until Cummins stepped up yet again after already taking 6-27 to complete career-best match figures of 9-99.

As the demoralised Australians attempt to lift themselves off the canvas in Sydney, they must do so as the first side since 1991-92 to arrive at the New Year’s Test with not a century between them all summer.

Head’s wild shot selection has been as inexplicable as anyone this series, yet he tops the run-scoring as the only Australian top six player with an average better than 29.

It’s not the only statistic that sums up the alarming state of Australia’s batting crisis in a nutshell.

Cummins’ rock solid technique at No.8 looks better than anyone in the top order.

Finch survived a confident lbw shout only to loosely shell at one outside off-stump very next ball and, according to Katich, give Indian tormenter Virat Kohli “catching practice” in the slips.

No.7 Tim Paine is the country’s second leading run-scorer this calendar year behind Usman Khawaja.

Katich said close friend and coach Justin Langer would simply be “tearing his hair out” at another dismal batting effort underlined by a Marsh brain explosion against Indian spinner Ravi Jadeja who has dismissed him five times from precious few encounters.

“I am absolutely lost for words watching that,” said Katich on SEN Radio.

“That’s just done him absolutely no good whatsoever in terms of his learning. When he had a golden opportunity to learn something, he’s squandered it.

Mitch Marsh faces the axe after another dismal batting effort. Picture: Getty Images

“Justin Langer must be sitting in that viewing box tearing his hair off. He’s going to be bald by Sydney next week.

“If I was him I’d be ripping it out hair by hair as we speak. I would be steaming in those viewing rooms at the moment.

“In fact, good thing I’m up here because if I was down there I’d be tearing strips off him.

“He’ll probably be joining Finch on the sidelines in my book.”

Katich was one of several critics who declared at the start of the series that Finch should be batting in the middle-order and not as an opener where even his own State refuse to play him.

Mark Waugh compared Finch’s approach as an opener to that of 1990s game-changer Michael Slater.

However, Slater himself concedes Finch may not have the game to last.

“I don’t think you can continue with Finch at the top of the order,” said Slater on 7.

“He doesn’t have the mindset or technique to open for Australia in Test cricket.”

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