Australia were left staring at a calamitous defeat at tea on day three of the third test on Friday after being reduced to 145 for seven in their reply to India's declared first innings total of 443 for seven.
Captain Tim Paine was 22 not out and tail-ender Mitchell Starc was on five, with Australia still 99 runs short of making India bat again on a stifling afternoon at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Jasprit Bumrah led a fierce India pace assault, claiming his third wicket of the innings by bowling Travis Head for 20 shortly after lunch.
Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja dismissed Mitchell Marsh for nine for his second victim before seamer Mohammed Shami bowled Pat Cummins for 17.
The second successful session left India in the box seat to dismiss Australia cheaply and look to claim a 2-1 lead in the four-test series heading to the finale in Sydney.
Having dominated with the bat for two days on a maligned drop-in wicket, India's bowlers promptly put Australia to the sword in the morning after they resumed on eight for no loss.
Australia stumbled to 89 for four by lunch, with Bumrah dismissing Shaun Marsh lbw for 19 with the last ball before the interval.
The young paceman earlier had Marcus Harris caught at long leg for 22, the opener top-edging a hook from the paceman who struck him on the helmet with a brutal delivery late on day two.
Harris's opening partner Aaron Finch, out for eight, stumbled into a trap set by India captain Virat Kohli, flicking Ishant off his pads to silly mid-on where Agarwal clutched a brilliant low catch.
Australia's parade of troubled lefthand batsmen continued, with the nervous Shaun Marsh joining Usman Khawaja (21) in the middle.
The pair were soon under siege by the left-arm spin of Jadeja and a foot-mark that gave the bowler prodigious turn.
Khawaja reverse-swept Jadeja for four but was out the next delivery as the ball reared out of the rough to catch an edge that was well caught by Agarwal at short leg.
Head and Marsh nudged Australia forward without looking especially comfortable, but their budding partnership was broken when the inspired Bumrah deceived Marsh with a slower ball that cannoned into his pads on the full.
