India were dismissed for 196 in reply to Australia's first innings of 343 late on the second day of the first test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground yesterday.
Sachin Tendulkar topscored with 62 while Stuart Clark captured four for 28 and Brett Lee four for 46 for Australia.
Clark and Lee backed up Australia's belief that express pace and extra bounce would trouble India, whose losing battle against the quicks left them with a deficit of 221 runs at tea.
Lee and Clark took a wicket each in the first session to have India in strife at 31 for two at lunch, and then added on their good starts in the middle and last session to press home Australia's advantage after the home side made 343 in their first innings.
Lee removed VVS Laxman for 26 with a brutish bouncer, which the right-hander could only fend off the glove to second slip, where Ricky Ponting took a low catch.
Clark added the prized scalp of Tendulkar, whose fine knock of 62 was ended when he chopped on trying to cut a delivery which bounced high on him.
Clark then struck another demoralising blow in the final over before tea, when he had Yuvraj Singh caught behind for a duck, leaving Sourav Ganguly, on 21 not out, as the only specialist batsman left.
Clark's removal of Yuvraj followed his dismissal of Rahul Dravid for five in the final over before lunch.
Before Clark removed Tendulkar, with the first delivery of a new spell, it looked like spin would again come to India's rescue, after the Anil Kumble-inspired comeback on Boxing Day.
Yesterday Tendulkar and Ganguly steadied India after Laxman's dismissal by attacking wrist spinner Brad Hogg. The veterans found Hogg provided the release valve in pressure, and took the attack to him after struggling to do so to the fast bowlers.
Tendulkar hit Hogg for two fours and a six to reach his half-century, while Ganguly hit him down the ground for six.
