India openers Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag survived a nervous three overs to reach six without loss at lunch after Australia were bowled out for 333 on the second day of the first test.
Resuming on 277-6 overnight, Australia's tail-enders held on doggedly to add 56 runs for the final four wickets before Ravichandran Ashwin cleaned up with two wickets.
Paceman Zaheer Khan wasted little time in dismissing wicketkeeper Brad Haddin and paceman Peter Siddle, ending their 72-run stand for the seventh wicket under bright sunshine at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
But Ben Hilfenhaus and James Pattinson frustrated the tourists with a 27-run partnership for the ninth wicket before spinner Nathan Lyon joined Pattinson to add another 15.
Zaheer made the early breakthrough, tempting Haddin with a wide half-volley that the wicketkeeper drove recklessly, sending a nick to the slips where Virender Sehwag took a smart catch just above the grass.
Zaheer then had Siddle caught behind by captain MS Dhoni five runs later, drawing the paceman forward to nibble at a ball moving away.
Ashwin ended an enterprising 19 from Hilfenhaus, who slogged a boundary off his first ball, and then bowled Lyon as he attempted an ill-judged sweep.
Zaheer, playing his first test in five months after a long layoff from injury, took 4-77 to finish the best of the Indian bowlers, with Ashwin and Umesh Yadav each taking three.
Gambhir appeared nervous as he played and missed in Pattinson's two overs but the hard-hitting Sehwag was on the front foot from the outset, lofting a risky shot that just cleared mid-off.
Gambhir negotiated the final two deliveries to ensure India went to lunch without loss.
