RANCHI: Pace sensation Pat Cummins' newfound resilience has been put to the supreme test after Australia's feared scenario with him was realised.

The highly talented quick was dealt a much heavier workload than expected, backing up three days in a row to deliver 39 overs in his comeback Test.

His tally is five short of the 44 he delivered on debut in 2011 after which he broke down. There will now be some nervous types in the Australian dressing room who will be desperately hoping their young gun comes through the match unscathed.

Should he pull through, he cannot be considered an automatic selection for the fourth Test, starting on Saturday, due to his long injury history. Cummins would be even more vulnerable if he was to play in Dharamsala and Australia had to bowl first.

"Workload is fine, bowlers have to bowl – that's their job, they're here to bowl a lot of overs, that's what Test cricket is about," former Test great Brett Lee said on Star Sports.

"What India is doing is great, they're tiring the Australian bowlers. It'll be hard to back up."

Whereas previously Cummins has been rushed back into a Test preparation, this time he has been playing since October, gradually building his overs through different formats of the game at grade, state and international level. He should be better prepared than after any of his other long spells on the sidelines.

But Cricket Australia will come under heavy criticism if he breaks down. Former Test paceman and NSW bowling coach Geoff Lawson believed Cummins should not have returned after having played only one first-class game since the 2015 Ashes.

CA had planned on saving Cummins for next summer's Ashes, but Mitchell Starc's injury changed the landscape and the temptation of what would be a momentous series win in India proved too hard to resist.

CA argued Cummins would have bowled more overs in the Shield for NSW had he stayed home, a view the bowler also shared. But few expected the pitch in Ranchi to play so favourably to the batsmen.

"If he ends up bowling more overs than first expected, then so be it," Australia's bowling coach David Saker said after the third day. "It's tough cricket over here and because he's bowling so well, the captain will want to keep going to him. 

"I can't see him bowling too many overs tomorrow and maybe if we do have a bowl on the final day, I think it will be more a spinning wicket. He's done a great job so far."

The problem for Australia, however, was they did need a lot more of Cummins, who bowled another 14 overs on the fourth day.

His four wickets gave the visitors hope of victory midway through the game, but that has evaporated after Cheteshwar Pujara and Wriddhiman Saha's heroics with the bat.

India batted for 210 overs, the 10th most for balls faced against Australia in the history of Test cricket. If Cummins is required on Monday, he will have bowled four days on end.

"Fortunately I did it last week – that's about the only time in the last few years I have. Looking back, that's the perfect audition last week," Cummins told ABC Grandstand before play on Sunday.

"I think I've bowled 25 overs for the match and I bowled 36 last week in the Shield game, so I feel fine. Feels like a couple of back-to-back one-day internationals ... body feels great – can't wait to get back out there today."

Australia 451 & 2/23

India 9d/603