The tourists, trailing the hosts by 141 runs after the first innings, were 150 for four in their second knock at stumps on the third day, a slender lead of nine runs with six wickets in hand.

Australia, leading 1-0 in the four-match series, return on Sunday aiming to set India a sizeable target on a wearing wicket at the Chepauk.

Kumble, who claimed seven wickets in the first innings, removed openers Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer after they had put on 53 for the first wicket.

The leg-spinner ended the day with the vital wicket of captain Adam Gilchrist just before stumps to record his sixth 10-wicket haul in a Test match.

Left-handed Gilchrist, who made 49 after promoting himself to number three, was bowled round his legs.

At stumps, Damien Martyn was on 19 while nightwatchman Jason Gillespie had yet to score.

Earlier, India were all out for 376 in their first innings soon after lunch with Mohammad Kaif scoring a career-best 64 before being afflicted by dehydration and cramps. Parthiv Patel contributed 54.

Leg-spinner Shane Warne, who became Test cricket's leading bowler on Friday, finished with 6-125 to take his career tally to 537 wickets.

It was the leg-spinner's 28th five-wicket haul in 114 Tests and made amends for a wicketless display by premier fast bowler Glenn McGrath, who went for 0-74 from 25 overs.

After Hayden and Langer compiled a half-century stand by tea, Kumble struck with the first delivery after the break when Langer (19) edged a catch to Rahul Dravid in the slips.

Hayden, dropped twice by wicketkeeper Patel on zero and 21, threw away his wicket for 39 when he top-edged a wild sweep off Kumble to Venkatsai Laxman at short mid-wicket.

Gilchrist and Simon Katich put on 45 for the third wicket when left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan broke through by trapping Katich leg-before with Australia still 20 runs in arrears.

Kaif, playing his fifth Test but only the first since 2001 despite being a regular member of the one-day side, did not resume his innings after the lunch break due to the cramps in his left leg.

Kaif limped onto the field after the fall of the ninth wicket and was soon run out after falling to the ground in pain.

He was taken to hospital and put on glucose drips to overcome the dehydration caused by the stifling heat and humidity in this southern coastal city.

Kaif and his overnight partner Patel, who started the day at 291-6, saw out the first hour to take their seventh-wicket stand to 102 before Warne broke through.

The leg-spinner forced Patel to edge a catch to wicketkeeper Gilchrist.

Patel, who came to the crease on Friday afternoon with India still one run short of Australia's first innings total of 235, stood firm for almost three hours to score 54.

It was the 19-year-old wicketkeeper's fourth half-century in 18 Tests and followed his defiant 46 in the first Test at Bangalore, which India lost by 217 runs.