A fired-up Mitchell Starc removed India opener Murali Vijay for a duck to bring up lunch on the second day of the second test on Saturday, giving Australia an early boost in the field after they were dismissed for 326.

Australia scored some invaluable lower-order runs on a green-tinged Perth Stadium pitch before Ishant Sharma mopped up the tail to leave his openers with a nervous 15 minutes at the crease before the break.

Vijay was not up to the task and was cleaned bowled by left-arm quick Starc, who had come in for some criticism for his bowling during Australia's 31-run defeat in the first test in Adelaide.

India were 6-1 at lunch with Lokesh Rahul on one not out to be joined after the break by in-form Cheteshwar Pujara.

Australia, desperate for a victory to level up the series, batted doggedly through the morning under overcast skies to add 49 vital runs to their overnight score.

The batsmen had to cope with uneven bounce on the grassy wicket marked with widening cracks.

The Indian quicks targeted Tim Paine with a barrage of short-pitched deliveries but the wicketkeeper-captain counter-attacked by cracking boundaries on both sides of the wicket.

The seventh-wicket partnership of 59 ended shortly after the drinks break when Umesh Yadav clean bowled Pat Cummins for 19 with a pearl of a delivery.

Paine departed for 38 shortly afterwards, trapped lbw by the tireless Jasprit Bumrah, who surprisingly only bowled 40 minutes into the day’s play.

Big quick Ishant (4-41) will start Australia's second innings on a hat-trick after running through the tail as Australia lost their last four wickets for 16 runs.

Marcus Harris top-scored with 70, with Aaron Finch and Travis Head also making half-centuries in the fierce heat of the opening day.

The test is the first at the new 60,000-seat stadium located in Burswood after a 47-year run at the WACA and Australia will be keen to end a run of six tests without a victory against an India side seeking a first series win Down Under.