The case for Pat Cummins to take the new ball for Australia - and secure a long-term contract - continues to grow after he snared career-best figures in the third Test at the MCG and backed it up by top-scoring with the bat.
Cummins' inspired one-man show - taking 6-27 and then scoring a career-high 61 not out to show the top six how it's done - ensured the Test will go to a fifth day, although India remain poised to retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy.
Regardless of how long Australia last when they resume at 8-258 in pursuit of 399, Cummins' heroics will live long in the memory.
His third career five-wicket haul and first on Australian soil capped off a stellar 2018 in which he took 44 wickets at 19.97 - sixth overall among all Test bowlers and significantly better than Mitchell Starc (31 at 33.35) and Josh Hazlewood (26 at 33.26).
Australia's woeful batting at the MCG forced him to bowl on all four days, sending down 45 overs in total.
The 25-year-old joked earlier this month that he and offspinner Nathan Lyon worked the "graveyard shift" with Starc and Hazlewood entrusted with the new ball.
But while the once injury-wrecked Cummins has now proven his ability to bend his back, Australia's brain trust would have to be giving serious thought about whether they would be better served with Cummins opening the bowling.
His batting performance was equally impressive, displaying a technical aptitude which appeared to have abandoned those above him in the order.
"He's wanting to learn about the game and he's getting better with his bowling, batting and fielding," Lyon said.
"Pat just keeps getting better and better. He's one of the best allrounders in the game in my eyes."
Cummins was left exhausted on Friday after obliterating India's top order, snagging 4-0 in eight consecutive deliveries including the prized wickets of Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara.
The NSW paceman is seeking a long-term contract from Cricket Australia, having played more Test cricket than any of Australia's quicks since making his long-anticipated comeback from injury during last year's tour of India.
"As fast bowlers, we put ourselves through a lot," Cummins told AAP last week.
"I guess every sport has long-term contracts so I just asked the question of seeing if I could do something longer term."
Cummins has opted out of next year's IPL season to prepare for the World Cup and has signalled he would be willing to forgo the lucrative tournament in the future in favour of a longer-term national deal.
His previous best figures were on debut when he took 6-79 as a teenager in Johannesburg - the site of another five-wicket haul earlier this year.
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