A rattled India limped to 48-4 as rain ruined the second session on the third day of the third Test against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane on Monday.

Needing 245 to avoid the follow-on, India lost wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant during a stop-start session in which only 6.5 overs were bowled because of three rain delays.

India lost three early wickets in the first session, after earlier bowling Australia out for 445.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli all fell to Australia's opening bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.

KL Rahul was not-out 30 at tea, with captain Rohit Sharma yet to score.

With most of the first day lost to rain Saturday, Travis Head and Steve Smith's second-day centuries ensured that India cannot realistically win the Test.

The best they can probably hope for is to bat for enough time to draw the match and head to Melbourne with the series locked at 1-1.

Australia resumed the third day on 405-7 and were eventually bowled out for 445, wicketkeeper Alex Carey the last man out after an enterprising 70.

With more rain predicted for the remainder of the Test, India's first target was to avoid the follow-on.

But their reply got off to a terrible start when Jaiswal, who edged Starc's first ball for four runs through gully, chipped the next ball straight to Mitchell Marsh at square leg.

Fellow opener Rahul got a nasty hit on the wrist from a Hazlewood ball that rose sharply off a good length, but after treatment he was able to continue.

In Starc's next over, Gill edged to gully and Marsh took a brilliant catch, diving high to his left to leave India in tatters at 6-2.

Kohli was next to go. He was caught behind by Carey after playing at a full ball from Hazelwood that he could have left alone but instead got a faint edge through to the wicketkeeper.

To add insult to injury, as Kohli was walking off the rain started falling and early lunch was called.

There were more rain delays after lunch as Rahul and Pant tried to rescue the situation, but with the score on 44, Pant got a thin edge off Pat Cummins to Carey.

Rain started falling soon after and an early tea was called.