As Travis Head narrowly missed out on a century, Alex Carey helped momentarily keep India at bay to fuel a beaten Australia’s chances of extending the West Test into day five.

Head cashed in on a softer ball on Monday, surviving some demons in the Perth wicket early before freeing his arms after lunch.

Head had looked easily the most comfortable Australian at the crease at any point in this Test. He drove well and played typically smartly behind square, bringing up his half-century by flicking a ball from Siraj over the wicket-keeper’s head for four.

But he ultimately succumbed to likely Player of the Match Jasprit Bumrah for 89, nicking an attempted drive outside off-stump to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.

Carey looked assured on his way to an unbeaten 30 at tea, but the home side lost Mitchell Starc to an excellent catch at short leg by Dhruv Jurel to fall to 8-227 - still 306 in arrears.

Hometown hero Mitch Marsh was looking sharp as he sought a big score of his own, and at one stage pulled Harshit Rana for six during a wayward spell in the second session.

But he fell minutes after the drinks break when he chopped on against Nitish Kumar Reddy.

There are question marks around Marsh early in the series, after a lacklustre contribution with the ball on day three and some concerns over his fitness.

Earlier, Steve Smith lost his wicket for 17, edging behind a Mohammed Siraj delivery late in the first session of day four, and has now gone 23 innings without a century — the longest drought of his career.

Word out of the Australian camp was that Smith, who has returned to the No.4 position this summer after a short-lived experiment at the top of the order, had “found his hands” and was hitting the ball well before the series.

But he copped a Jasprit Bumrah ripsnorter in the first innings and was out for a golden duck.

Usman Khawaja departed in the first 10 minutes of the day after a late pull-shot shot up for Rishabh Pant to take running backwards for four.

Head survived a wild appeal for lbw from Mohammed Siraj where he ran past the stumps in celebration, only for a review to show the ball was missing the stumps.

And Smith copped a ball from Harshit Rana in the lower rib cage. The former Australian skipper appeared winded and lay on his back before he was treated by the physios and continued on.