Victoria 167 & 5 for 154 (Harris 62, Handscomb 53) lead Queensland 271 (Burns 96, Labuschagne 47, Siddle 4-62) by 50 runs

Queensland opener Joe Burns sent a reminder of his class to the national selectors with a well-made 96 to help Queensland into a strong position against Victoria at the Gabba.

Burns' innings, along with 47 from Marnus Labuschagne, helped set up a 104-run first innings lead for the Bulls. The lead may have been more without a superb spell from Peter Siddle, who picked up four wickets.

High-quality half-centuries from Test squad members Marcus Harris and Peter Handscomb saw Victoria claw back infront but late wickets ensured the stumps lead was only 50 with five wickets in hand and two full days to play.

Burns looked set for a century early in the day after adding 25 to his overnight total before Scott Boland squared him up with an excellent delivery to get him caught at second slip.

Siddle then ripped the heart of the Bulls' middle order attacking the stumps relentlessly to remove Charlie Hemphrey, Jack Wildermuth and Jimmy Peirson in quick succession.

Labuschagne was patient for his 47 but ran out of partners, eventually holing out at deep fine leg attempting to hook Boland who picked up three wickets of his own.

Travis Dean then become the first Victorian opener in 13 years to bag a pair when he was given out lbw to Michael Neser from the first ball of the second innings. Seven balls later Victoria were in enormous trouble when Aaron Finch was also adjudged lbw to Luke Feldman. The ball nipped back and hit the top of the pads as Finch was up on his toes but the umpire believed it would have hit the top of the stumps, much to Finch's displeasure.

Harris and Handscomb proved why they are in the frame for the Adelaide Test with a fluent 104-run stand. Harris struck 10 fours in his 62 before he missed a ball slanting in from around the wicket from Mark Steketee. Handscomb reached his second fifty in the match before he fell to Neser, edging to slip trying to defend a good delivery on a fourth stump line.

Glenn Maxwell made it to 29 at stumps but lost Seb Gotch in the last over in fading light. Labuschagne's part-time legspin did the trick for skipper Usman Khawaja to leave Victoria with an uphill battle to set a defendable fourth innings total.