Exploiting the favourable conditions, left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemman picked up his maiden five-wicket haul as Australia skittled India out for a paltry 109 on day one of the third Test in Indore on Wednesday.
India's aggressive approach on a track offering vicious turn backfired as they capitulated in just 33.2 overs after opting to bat.
Like the last two Tests, the pitch was expected to offer plenty of turn but the ball turning square in the first hour of play and the odd one keeping low came as a slight surprise.
Virat Kohli top scored for India with 22 off 52 balls while opener Shubman Gill, who replaced struggling K.L. Rahul, contributed 21.
Having lost seven of the batters by the end of the opening session, India could add only 25 more runs to their total with Kuhnemann (5/16), playing only his second Test, ending with career-best figures in first-class cricket.
If it wasn't for Umesh Yadav's 17 off 13 balls, India would have struggled to get past the 100-run mark. He used the slog sweep effectively to end with a couple of sixes and four.
Kuhnemann completed a memorable five-wicket haul by trapping Umesh in front of the stumps. Mohammad Siraj's run out following a mix up with Axar Patel brought an end to the innings.
Usman Khawaja (33 batting off 77) and Marnus Labuschagne (16 batting off 51), who was out off a no-ball, batted well on a rank turner to take Australia to 71 for one in 22 overs at tea on day one.
Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were expected to make deeper inroads into Australian batter than what they managed. The only wicket that came India's way was of Travis Head (9), who missed a straight ball from Jadeja to be adjudged lbw.
Jadeja forced Labuschagne to play on to his stumps but he was guilty of bowling a no ball for the third time in the series.
Unlike the last game, Australia were able to apply themselves in testing conditions. Both Khawaja and Labuschagne trusted their defence to counter the spinners. Ashwin bowled a tad too full in his nine-over spell.
It was a sign of desperation that India exhausted two of their three views in the first 10 overs. Labuschagne got a second life when India did not review a lbw call off Ashwin.
