INDORE - Australia spinners Matthew Kuhnemann and Nathan Lyon took three wickets each to leave hosts India reeling at 84-7 at lunch on day one of the third Test on Wednesday.
Axar Patel, on six, and Ravichandran Ashwin, on one, were batting at the break on an already viciously turning pitch with a low bounce in Indore.
Tourists Australia, trying to fight back after being well beaten in the first two Tests, introduced spin in the sixth over after India elected to bat first.
It brought instant reward in a frenetic opening session, with Kuhnemann getting skipper Rohit Sharma stumped for 12 off his left-arm spin.
Shubman Gill, in for struggling KL Rahul, attempted to hit back with three fours but fell to Kuhnemann for 21.
Senior off-spinner Lyon then bowled Cheteshwar Pujara for one with a delivery that spun hugely and stayed low.
Wickets kept tumbling with Ravindra Jadeja out for four off Lyon and Shreyas Iyer bowled by Kuhnemann for a duck, as India slipped to 45-5 in the first hour of play.
Virat Kohli looked positive in his knock of 22, but fell lbw to Todd Murphy, the third time the off-spinner has claimed the star batsman's wicket in as many matches.
At the start of play, returning left-arm quick Mitchell Starc had Rohit caught behind but the appeal was turned down and Australia did not review, only for replays to show the batsman had nicked the ball.
Three balls later Australia missed another review on Rohit after the ball hit the batsman's pad and the tracker technology suggested an lbw.
But Rohit, who hit a century in the previous Test, did not last long and neither did the rest of India's top and middle order.
India already have a 2-0 lead in the four-match series to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
They made two changes to the team that won in Delhi with Gill in for Rahul and fast bowler Umesh Yadav replacing the rested Mohammed Shami.
Australia, led by Steve Smith in the absence of Pat Cummins, also made two changes.
Starc replaced Cummins while Cameron Green came in for David Warner, who was ruled out of the remaining two matches with a fractured elbow and concussion.