England need nine wickets on the final day to take a Test series lead and India will require another famous run chase to go 1-0 up in Chennai after 15 wickets tumbled on Monday.

The tourists bowled India out for 337 at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium after Washington Sundar held them up with an excellent unbeaten 85.

Ashwin made 31 before taking 6-61 as England were bowled out for 178 after the in-form Joe Root - who top scored with 40 - opted against enforcing the follow-on.

India pulled off a big run chase to secure a series win in Australia last month and they will have to repeat those final-day heroics after being set 420 to win on a day which saw Ishant Sharma take his 300th wicket in the longest format.

Jack Leach bowled Rohit Sharma with a peach of a delivery to leave India 39-1 at stumps - 381 runs from their huge target.

England had to be patient for a breakthrough after India resumed on 257-6, Leach ending a seventh-wicket stand of 80 by getting Ashwin for 31 with the new ball - Jos Buttler taking an athletic catch.

Root chose to bat again after a combination of Leach (2-105) and James Anderson (2-46) finished off India's first innings - Ben Stokes taking a sensational slip catch for England's highest Test wicket-taker.

Ashwin generated turn and bounce to get Rory Burns caught by Ajinkya Rahane off the first ball of England's second innings before lunch, and he also saw the back of Dom Sibley (16) following the break.

Ishant snared Dan Lawrence leg before to join the 300 club before Ashwin removed Stokes - caught behind for only seven.

Root, who made a double century in the first innings of his 100th Test, added 40 as England took the lead over 400, with Ollie Pope (28), Buttler (24) and Dom Bess (25) also chipping in.

Ashwin continued to get sharp turn on a deteriorating track as Root kept India in the field in the heat rather than declaring, picking up a 28th five-wicket haul by bowling Jofra Archer and ending the innings when Anderson was caught and bowled.

Leach produced a great delivery to strike Rohit's off stump, but Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara prevented further damage from being done.

Ashwin delivers, Ishant reaches landmark

Spinner Ashwin bowled 55.1 overs as India were made to toil by a Root-inspired England in the first innings but did not appear to be fatigued as he bowled superbly second time around.

He took advantage of a pitch offering an increasing amount of spin, which should have had Leach and Bess rubbing their hands together. Ishant became the sixth Indian bowler to take 300 Test scalps when Lawrence was his only second-innings victim. 

Leach sets England on their way

Leach was given the new ball with Archer as Anderson was overlooked and the left-armer conjured up a perfect delivery to dismiss Rohit, getting one to drift and turn away.

That was the tourists' only breakthrough in 13 overs, but they will be expected to come out firing on the last day.

Fair or foul? Gamesmanship or unsportsmanlike conduct? Steve Smith found himself in the spotlight after his actions on the final day of the third Test between Australia and India in Sydney.

Smith was at his best with the bat in the match, making scores of 131 and 81 as he returned to form in style after a recent lean spell.

However, it may well be his footwork during Monday's final day will overshadow what he achieved during the rest of the Test.

With India battling to save the game, stump camera footage seen on social media showed Smith standing at the crease during a break in proceedings, the Australian shaping up as if he was batting, including marking a guard.

His actions at the crease forced India's Rishabh Pant to retake his own guard before play resumed, with the moment becoming a hot topic on Twitter.

"Tried all tricks including Steve Smith trying to remove Pant's batting guard marks from the crease," former India batsman Virender Sehwag wrote to accompany the footage that was seen on the international feed of the broadcast.

Retweeting Sehwag's post, ex-England captain Michael Vaughan added: "This is very very poor from Steve Smith!!". Meanwhile, David Lloyd, who played and coached England before becoming a television commentator, wrote: "How childish".

Pant did not seem too perturbed by what happened, however, going on to make 97 as India impressively secured a draw.

Smith was sacked as Australia captain following the ball-tampering scandal during the tour of South Africa in 2018. Along with team-mate David Warner, he was banned for 12 months from international and domestic cricket for his involvement in the incident.

Cameron Bancroft, who was the player caught by television cameras appearing to use sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball during the third Test against the Proteas at Newlands, was handed a nine-month suspension.

Tim Paine, who took over as skipper of the Test side, was also trending on social media after a verbal exchange with India's Ravichandran Ashwin during the final session of play at the SCG.

Ashwin pulled away before a delivery as he and Paine shared words, their conversation picked up by the stump microphone.

England paceman Stuart Broad pointed out on Twitter that such situations are "part of the game" during a Test match, though did suggest Paine's use of an expletive could land him in trouble.

The wicketkeeper was indeed fined after the game, though lost 15 per cent of his match fee as punishment for dissent after questioning an umpiring decision during day three of the match.

Ashwin ended up unbeaten on 39 to help India survive and remain level at 1-1 in the series ahead of the final game in Brisbane.

Tim Paine acknowledged he needed to "set a better example" for those watching on after the Australia captain was fined for showing dissent at an umpiring decision in the third Test against India.

India managed to lose just three wickets as they secured a draw on a dramatic final day in Sydney, leaving the series delicately poised at 1-1 with the one game to play.

Australia missed chances in the field and wicketkeeper Paine, who dropped three catches behind the stumps, became involved in a verbal exchange with India's Ravichandran Ashwin that was caught on the stump microphone.

However, he was punished by the International Cricket Council for an incident that happened on the third day, having questioned a decision to umpire Paul Wilson.

Paine - who was fined 15 per cent of his match fee, as well as having one demerit point added to his disciplinary record - admitted the offence, making clear in his post-match press conference that he did not mean to be disrespectful to Wilson.

"We all know that the stump microphones are part of the broadcast. It's great to bring the viewers that close, [for them] to be able to hear it," he told the media.

"I probably set a pretty poor example with my use of language. I'm certainly disappointed with myself after I heard that.

"We know we've got to be careful. I've known and had Paul umpiring me for some time, I certainly didn't mean to be disrespectful to him. It was just a heat-of-the-moment audible obscenity, I think that's what I've been done for. 

"I need to be better than that. I know that the stump mics are on and I know it's part of the game. 

"There are lots of kids watching the Australia Test team  - I need to set a better example than that."

Paine's frustration came after a not out decision by on-field umpire Wilson following appeals for a catch at short leg, with the call not being overturned following the use of the DRS.

Addressing the incident again later in his media duties, he said: "I think we do want to take the game as close to the fans and spectators as we can. At times, when the stump mics are on, that's going to happen. 

"We try our best but we are not perfect. If the worst thing we have done is let the odd f-bomb go, then I think we're doing okay."

Australia and India now move on to Brisbane for the series decider, with the fourth Test going ahead after the Board of Control for Cricket in India received assurances over quarantine restrictions amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

India held firm to deny Australia and secure an incredible draw in the third Test in Sydney on Monday.

Australia looked in position to take a 2-1 series lead, needing eight wickets on the final day at the SCG, but were left frustrated by a stubborn India batting line-up and costly dropped catches.

Rishabh Pant (97), Cheteshwar Pujara (77), Hanuma Vihari (23 off 161 balls) and Ravichandran Ashwin (39 off 128 balls) helped ensure India were level heading into the final Test in Brisbane starting on Friday.

The SCG pitch played few tricks on day five, and Pant even had India dreaming of an amazing win, the tourists eventually finishing at 334-5, 73 runs adrift of a victory they stopped chasing after Vihari hurt his hamstring.

Josh Hazlewood (2-39) and Nathan Lyon (2-114) made breakthroughs, but Australia were unable to do enough in a Test they looked destined to win as Tim Paine dropped three catches.

Australia landed an early blow as Lyon had Ajinkya Rahane (4) caught at short leg by Matthew Wade.

But Pant – who suffered an elbow injury on Saturday – was put down twice by Paine, on three and 56, off Lyon, and he counter-attacked superbly to put the pressure on the off-spinner.

Pujara brought up 6,000 Test runs, the 11th Indian to achieve the feat as he continued to frustrate Australia.

Pant looked capable of leading India to a shock victory before falling just short of a third Test century, caught by Pat Cummins at gully after trying to attack Lyon again.

The second new ball brought a key wicket for Australia as Hazlewood produced a wonderful delivery to bowl Pujara.

A pair of reviews were unable to get Ashwin, who was dropped on 15, a diving Sean Abbott – on for the injured Will Pucovski (shoulder) – unable to hold onto a tough chance.

Vihari and Ashwin, showing no intent to score, remained stoic and defended well against an increasingly desperate Australia.

Paine dropped another chance after Vihari edged a Mitchell Starc (0-66) delivery and it proved to be the final opportunity as India held on for a draw.