Rogers joins the likes of Simpson, Ponting, Bradman

Despite the Indian bowlers working hard to improve their chances of a win in the third Test in Melbourne, Australia finished Day 4 on 261 for seven with Shaun March (62 no out) and Ryan Harris (8 not out) and 326-run lead.

Rogers and Shaun Marsh scored fighting fifties to put Australia in a strong position on Monday.

Here are the statistical highlights from the day's play.

# Ryan Harris (4/70) recorded his best bowling performance vs India in Tests, eclipsing the 3 for 41 at Adelaide in January 2012.

# Harris's figures are his best in a Test innings at MCG, surpassing two for 47 vs England in December 2013.

# Shaun Marsh's 62 not out off 131 balls is his first fifty in 10 Test innings in Australia, eclipsing the 32 (twice) at Brisbane and Melbourne in the current rubber.

# Marsh has overall registered two centuries and two fifties in 19 Test innings.

# In eight innings this year, Marsh has managed 335 runs at an average of 47.85, including a hundred and a fifty.

# Ravichandran Ashwin (5/190) produced his best bowling figures in a Test match away from home, outstripping the five for 267 vs Australia at Adelaide in January 2012.

# Shane Watson has been dismissed by Ishant Sharma seven times. James Anderson (8 times) and Stuart Broad (7) are two other bowlers to have dismissed him seven times or more in Tests.

# Ishant became the eighth Indian bowler to complete 300 international wickets.

# Chris Rogers has averaged 43.22 in the second innings while amassing 778 (ave.43.22) in 18 innings in Tests as compared to his average of 31.89 in the first innings -- 606 in nineteen innings.

# Rogers has registered four fifties in a row in Tests against India -- 55 & 55 at Brisbane and 57 & 69. In all, he has posted nine fifties in Tests.

# Rogers became the second Australian opening batsman after Bobby Simpson to score four fifties in consecutive innings vs India.

# Apart from Simpson and Rogers (the openers), Ricky Ponting (five), Don Bradman and

Damien Martyn have recorded four consecutive fifties vs India.

# Mitchell Johnson has claimed 45 wickets at 23.46 runs apiece in nine Tests -- the highest by a pacer in Tests in 2014.

# Steven Smith has posted 200 runs in a Test match twice -- 214 (162 not out + 52 not out) at Adelaide and 206 (192 + 14) at Melbourne - both against India in the current rubber.

Smith became the third Australian player to make 200 runs or more in a Test match against India at MCG. Don Bradman -- 259 (132 + 127 not out) in 1947-48 and Ricky Ponting -- 288 (257 + 31 not out) in 2003-04 were the first two players to accomplish the feat.

# Dhoni became the first Indian wicketkeeper to effect eight dismissals in a Test match on four occasions, including twice against Australia.

# Six fifty-plus stands have been registered by Australian openers. West Indian openers have recorded eight such stands -- the most by a team in 2014.

# Australia have recorded run rate of 3.48 in their second innings -- their lowest during the current rubber.

# David Warner, in the course of his 40 off 42 balls, has completed his 3,000 runs in Tests -- his aggregate being 3028 (ave.48.06) in 35 Tests to become the 36th Australian player to record the feat.

# Warner, in third match innings, has completed his 1,000 runs in Tests -- his tally being 1019 (ave.53.63) in 20 innings.