Australian star Ellyse Perry has created more cricket history but it appears unlikely to prevent the day-night Test against India finishing in anything other than a draw.
At stumps on day three in the rain-marred contest at Carrara Stadium, Australia are 4-143 in reply to India's 8-377 declared, still 234 runs in arrears in the first innings.
Perry, who had earlier become just the third women's player to claim 300 international wickets, is unbeaten on 27 with Ashleigh Gardner not out on 13.
It seems only an unlikely set of circumstances across the final day can prevent the match finishing in a stalemate.
Perry, playing her 250th international, claimed scalp number 300 when she dismissed Pooja Vastrakar (13) in what was the final delivery of the opening session.
The 30-year-old also became the first Australian cricketer — male or female — to score 5,000 runs and claim 300 wickets in international matches in the process.
Perry joins Indian veteran Jhulan Goswami (339) and England's Katherine Brunt (301) as the only women to have 300 or more international scalps.
After India brought their innings to a close with the lights taking effect early in the middle session, Goswami (2-27) showed just why she is women's cricket's greatest wicket-taker by removing Australian openers Beth Mooney and Alyssa Healy before tea.
Mooney was clean bowled for four playing all around a delivery in the seventh over.
Goswami returned for a second spell and struck again when she delivered a full ball outside off-stump after peppering Healy with short deliveries and the Australian opener edged behind to fall for 29.
Dropped twice before tea, Australia captain Meg Lanning's luck ran out in the final session when she was given out LBW off the bowling of Vastrakar (2-31) despite replays showing Lanning had edged the ball onto her pad.
Vastrakar struck again later to remove Tahlia McGrath (28), leaving Australia four down and still 108 runs short of the follow-on target at that time.
Earlier, Perry (2-76) and teenage debutante Stella Campbell (2-47) were the only wicket-takers for Australia as India took their overnight score from 5-276 to 8-377 before declaring.
Deepti Sharma scored a career-best 66 before she was trapped LBW by 19-year-old Campbell, replays showing the ball had pitched well outside leg stump.
That was Campbell's second scalp in her first Test, having claimed her maiden wicket with just her second delivery of the day with Taniya Bhatia (22) caught behind.
Opener Smriti Mandhana was the top scorer with her 127 from earlier in the match the standout performance of the Test so far.
AAP
Live updates
By Dean Bilton
By Dean Bilton
THAT'S STUMPS! Australia 4/143 trail by 234 runs
First of all, thank goodness for a full day of cricket! We are expecting the same tomorrow with a good forecast, so you can't rule out the possibility of a result in this one. At the moment the draw looks the safe bet, but who knows! Weird things can happen in this game.
That was a mostly positive day for India, but likely a slightly frustrating one. They would have been hoping to have picked up a few more wickets before stumps to really give them a proper sniff of victory, but they remain the side most likely to pull off an unlikely win. If nothing else, we'll get to watch Ellyse Perry bat in a Test match tomorrow, which is always a joy.
So join me then! Let's see how this one pans out.
By Dean Bilton
60th over - Pooja Vastrakar will get the last chance
A show of faith from the captain. Can Pooja do something special before stumps?
EDGED FOR FOUR! Oooh there it was for Pooja! She gets the edge from Gardner, but it is wide and short of any slips fielders. A fortunate boundary.
So one ball to come for Pooja to find a way through...
No dice! And that is stumps.
By Dean Bilton
59th over - Jhulan charges in again
Don't think Jhulan Goswami has deviated from that one spot on the pitch all day. Incredibly consistency.
A misfield at cover hands Gardner two runs she shouldn't have had there. But it's late, everyone's tired.
So we won't get all the overs in tonight, we'll have time for only one more.
By Dean Bilton
58th over - Meghna gets another go
Runs for Gardner. A loose one from Meghna is turned away through the leg side for a couple more.
Another fine shot from Gardner, this time through the covers. Only for two more.
And that is your over bowled. So the onus is on India to manufacture something here, but some of the spark has gone out of the bowling late.
By Dean Bilton
57th over - Still Jhulan for India
One more for Gardner out to deep square leg.
And that's all I have to bring you from that over. Well defended by Perry and Australia.
By Dean Bilton
56th over - Meghna Singh back into the attack
So we're back with the openers to close the day.
BEATEN! Fair start that from Meghna! Beats Gardner's prodding drive.
A very sharp single to mid on from Gardner. Think she would have been safe even if the throw had hit.
BEATEN! Now it's Perry flirting outside the off stump! Didn't need to play at that!
One from the over, seven more to bowl.
By Dean Bilton
55th over - Jhulan to bowl again
We're talking about the ball again. Bit annoying this, now. It's back with Jhulan a bit quicker this time.
The Aussie batters are in absolutely no hurry now. They can see stumps, and even though they are 97 runs short of the follow on target, runs are secondary right now.
By Dean Bilton
54th over - More from Pooja
Quick single for Perry to a deepish mid off.
Gardner's defense looking much tighter in that over. She sees it out comfortably, just one from it.
By Dean Bilton
53rd over - Jhulan Goswami back into the attack
One last spell for the champ before stumps. What can she make happen?
Gee, that one kept low on Gardner. Lucky to get a bit of bat on it and away for a single.
One more for Perry as the over comes to an end.
By Dean Bilton
52nd over - Pooja will continue
The Indian bowlers are having a whole lot of trouble with the ball at the moment. The dew on the grass had damaged the original ball, which got swapped out by the umpire an over ago. Now they aren't happy with the new one either, which seems to be out of shape already somehow. So out comes the box, and the umps will pick another. We're seven minutes away from the scheduled close of play (don't worry, they'll keep playing) and there are still 12 overs to play. Australia's over rate was fine, so India probably needs to pick things up a little here.
BEATEN! This ball is working for Pooja! She gets that one past Gardner's outside edge.
AND AGAIN! Things happening with this ball now.
Gardner gets off the mark, but via a genuine inside edge. Pooja bowling well.
By Dean Bilton
51st over - Rajeshwari to Perry now
FOUR! Perry advances, drives and sends it straight of the mid-off fielder for four.
FOUR MORE! Now the square drive from Perry! One of her best shots of this innings, she really let her hands through that one.
Perry drives again but finds the point fielder this time. A good over for Australia all the same.
By Dean Bilton
50th over still - Pooja to finish her over
Ash Gardner is the new batter. Australia will certainly want her to still be at the crease come the close of play tonight.
So that over just keeps India's thoughts of a late flurry alive. The sting had gone out for the bowlers, but could that be the catalyst for some late action?
By Dean Bilton
OUT! MCGRATH IS CAUGHT AT POINT! OUT OF NOWHERE!
Where did that come from? Short and wide from Pooja so McGrath fancied her chances. She hit it pretty well in fairness - but only well enough for it to carry to Smriti Mandhana, who was fairly deep in the point position. She took a simple catch, and McGrath's promising innings comes to an early end.
Perhaps a sniff for India?
By Dean Bilton
50th over - Pooja in again
Slower ball there from Pooja, and a short one too! Threw McGrath off completely, and brought about a bottom edge from an attempted pull shot.
By Dean Bilton
49th over - Rajeshwari Gayakwad back into the attack
Rajeshwari comes over the wicket to bowl to McGrath, just to mix the angle up. McGrath works it to fine leg for a single.
She's been on the money all night, Rajeshwari, and that over was no exception. One from it.
By Dean Bilton
48th over - Pooja will have another crack at Perry
Perry is middling everything now, but is picking off fielders with every shot.
Six lovely cricket shots from Ellyse Perry for zero runs. A maiden.
By Dean Bilton
47th over - Deepti once more
A quick single from Perry, who is struck by the ball as it is thrown back at her stumps. She smiles it off though.
FOUR! McGrath drives straight and sneaks that one under Shafali. Tidy shot.
Two more for McGrath as she clips that off her pads. Scoring not a problem for Tahlia McGrath right now.
Seven runs off that over.
