India removed Australia's top three to take control and leave the hosts 287 runs behind in the second Test heading into tea in Brisbane.
After Josh Hazlewood's 5-68 helped the hosts dismiss India for 408 in the morning, Australia started their reply comfortably as both David Warner and Chris Rogers looked to be positive with their respective approaches.
Warner raced to 29 from 28 balls, but he was dismissed in the ninth over when he miscued a pull shot to first slip, where Ravichandran Ashwin took a simple catch to give Umesh Yadav the wicket.
Ashwin struck to take the second wicket when Shikhar Dhawan took a stunning catch at mid-on to remove Shane Watson, who had followed Warner's example to make a fluent 25.
Australia's new captain Steve Smith (6*) arrived at the crease to help Rogers (55) reach his half-century, but they were dealt a blow with the final ball of the session when MS Dhoni took a catch down the leg side off the bowling of Yadav to reduce the hosts to 121-3.
