Late strikes by Australia fast bowlers Ben Dwarshuis and Jason Behrendorff kept India to 174-9 as the tourists look to level the series in the fourth Twenty20 on Friday.
Rinku Singh smashed 46 off 29 balls and put on key partnerships including a 56-run fifth-wicket stand with Jitesh Sharma, who hit a 19-ball 35, in Raipur.
Australia, who trail the five-match series 2-1, elected to field first and Aaron Hardie, with figures of 1-20 in his three overs, led a disciplined attack Rinku hit back.
Dwarshuis took two wickets in the 19th over and fellow left-arm quick Behrendorff also struck twice in the next over to deny Rinku his fifty and check India's surge.
Hardie began with a maiden over and in his second over cut short Yashasvi Jaiswal's brisk knock of 37 off 28 balls after the left-hander mistimed a pull to get caught at mid-on.
Leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha sent back Shreyas Iyer for eight and left-arm quick Ben Dwarshuis made the hosts slip to 63-3 when he got skipper Suryakumar Yadav caught behind for one.
Ruturaj Gaikwad, who made 32 after his unbeaten 123 in the previous match, and Rinku put on a quick 48-run stand, which was broken by Sangha.
Glenn Maxwell, who hit a match-winning 104 not out on Tuesday, flew back home along with many of the recent ODI World Cup-winning players including Marcus Stoinis.
Travis Head remains the only player from the World Cup-winning team in the Australian side.
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