Australia have compounded their discomfort at the MCG by shooting themselves in the foot - twice, on successive deliveries.
First substitute fielder Peter Siddle dropped a sitter of a chance from Rohit Sharma after tea on day two of the Boxing Day Test against India.
Ajinkya Rahane also edged Nathan Lyon's next delivery, but Travis Head was wrong-footed at short leg and missed that chance as well.
The double-miss was a twisting of the dagger for the home side, with the temperature climbing into the mid-30s and the Indian batsman on a mission to grind the Australian attack into submission on a lifeless MCG pitch
Adding to Lyon's tough day, another chance was blown off his bowling when Pat Cummins dropped Rishabh Pant in the deep.
Siddle was on the field only briefly in the 147th over for Cummins, who needed treatment on a foot.
Sharma top-edged a sweep off Lyon and Siddle, in his excitement, ran too far one way before dropping an easy catch.
"He's made an absolute meal of that," Siddle's former Test captain Ricky Ponting said on Channel Seven.
"There's no worse feeling in the game than dropping a catch.
"We all have. We all know exactly how Peter Siddle feels right now."
Sharma was on 15 and Rahane had made 32 when they had their lives.
There was some relief for Australia, when a delivery from Lyon kept low in his next over and Rahane was trapped lbw for 34.
But 12 overs later, it was Cummins' turn to drop a very catchable chance at long on - and Lyon was the unfortunate bowler again.
Pant also was on 15 when he had his let off, while Sharma was closing on a half-century and India moved to 5-397 at drinks.
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