India have set a target of 399 for Australia to win the third Test in Melbourne. The Indian second innings was declared at 106 for 8 on Day 4, having started the day on 54 for five. It is going to be an arduous task for the hosts to win the Test considering they have in front of them an ever-deteriorating pitch, an in-form Indian bowling line-up and a target that they have never managed to chase against the Indians.The best target chased by Australia against India in Tests is 339 in Perth in 1977. Since then, the only successful target that the Aussies have chased is 128 in 2014 at the Gabba. In fact, since January 2008, India have won five of the seven Tests against the Aussies while defending a target, with one ending in a draw and the other one being the Brisbane Test of 2014.If one talks about chases of more than 300 since the win in Perth 41 years ago, Australia have lost seven of their eight Test matches. The only time they did not lose a Test while chasing a 300-plus target was in 2004 when they finished on 357/6 chasing 443. That, in fact, was Steve Waugh's last Test innings in which he made a gritty 80.Team India knows this Australian line-up does not yet have anyone with the fighting calibre of a Steve Waugh even to save the Test. And, with two sessions on Day 4 and a full Day 5 to follow on a pitch that is spitting venom from time to time, Virat Kohli and his men would be eyeing a historic 2-1 lead in a Test series for the first time in Australia.from Sify.com
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