Australia v India: David Warner says hosts need more runs at MCG

David Warner believes Australia require more runs before trying to force a series-securing victory over India on day five of the third Test in Melbourne.

Australia closed day four on 261-7 in their second innings, with Chris Rogers (69) and Shaun Marsh (62 not out) the main contributors as the hosts compiled a lead of 326.

India are highly likely to need to achieve a record run chase at the MCG, bettering the 332 England scored in 1928, to keep the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series alive, having lost the opening two Tests in the four-match contest.

And Warner is backing in-situ batsmen Marsh and Ryan Harris, who plundered 74 off just 88 balls in Australia’s first knock, to set up another Baggy Greens win.

“At the moment we're pretty positive,” said Warner, who made 40 on Monday before being trapped lbw by India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

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“We can steer the ship from here as much as we like. We've got to bat time tomorrow, see what's enough and then assess it after we are all out.

Produce

“We need a few more runs than we have on the board at the moment but Marsh is batting fantastic and we saw what Harris did in the first innings, so hopefully he can produce something similar to that.

"It's still a very good batting wicket but the key is going to be to get that ball going a little bit, dry up the runs and take 10 wickets."

Ashwin admits that it will be “tricky” for India to win their first Test match in Australia since the 72-run triumph in Perth in January 2008, but he says his team is ready for the challenge on a ground where they have not tasted victory in 33 years.

“Any score on the final day is going to be tricky,” said Ashwin, who also snaffled the key wicket of Rogers in Australia’s second innings.

"It's a Test match and you call it a Test match because it tests every single aspect of your game and your attitude. It's going to be hard work, but we're up for it.

"We want to win games of cricket so we'll be positive and try and see where we can go.”

Watch day five of the third Test between Australia and India from 11.30pm on Monday on Sky Sports 2.