A stunning 40th Test century by Sachin Tendulkar enabled India to take early control of the final Test before Australia hit back late on Thursday.
The record-breaking batsman scored 109 and put on 146 for the fourth wicket with Vangipurappu Laxman (64), playing in his 100th Test, to help India close day one at 311-5.
At stumps, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (4) was at the crease with former captain Saurav Ganguly (27), who is playing in his final Test.
Accurate left-arm pacer Mitchell Johnson dismissed Tendulkar lbw with the second new ball after debutant off-spinner Jason Krejza took his third wicket when he pegged back the hosts by dismissing Laxman, caught behind by Brad Haddin.
The 35-year-old Tendulkar had guided India out of trouble after Krejza took two quick wickets to put the brakes on after a blazing start by Virender Sehwag.
Sehwag hit a breezy 66 with nine fours and a six and put on 98 for the opening wicket with debutant Murali Vijay (33) after the hosts chose to bat.
India lead 1-0 in the four-match series after winning the second Test at Mohali by a record 320 runs. The other Tests were drawn.
Krejza strikes
The 25-year-old Krejza dismissed Rahul Dravid (0) and Sehwag, who lashed him for a four and a six in his first over, after medium-pacer Shane Watson sent back Vijay.
Krejza was picked in place of seamer Stuart Clark as a second specialist spinner alongside Cameron White to exploit the spin-friendly conditions in a bid to avoid their first series defeat since the 2005 Ashes in England.
Introduced early into the attack, Krejza, a tall, loopy spinner, had out-of-form Dravid caught at forward short-leg with a delivery that jumped and turned.
Four overs later, he bowled Sehwag off an inside edge as the batsman shaped to cut.
But Tendulkar, for whom it was a 10th Test century against Australia, and Laxman, who scored a 200 not out and 59 in the previous Test, guided India out of trouble.
Both batsmen targeted Krejza, who bowled a marathon 28 overs, conceding 138 runs.
In-form Tendulkar, who is Test cricket’s highest run-getter and century maker, reached his ton by cutting Krejza to the boundary.
But his innings, studded with 12 fours, was not flawless. He survived a run-out chance on 74 and was dropped twice in the deep mid-off region off Krejza — at 85 by Johnson and 96 by Brett Lee.
Fit-again Harbhajan Singh returned to the India side in place of former captain Anil Kumble, who abruptly retired after the last Test. — Reuters