The batting pair of Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green were decisive in their approach and made the Indian bowlers toil hard making merry of the excellent batting conditions on offer.
On Friday morning in Ahmedabad, coach Andrew McDonald gathered the team before the game to share that Maria Cummins had passed away from breast cancer.
At stumps, Australia's score read 255/4, with Khawaja going strong at 104 and Green unbeaten at 49. Australia lost four wickets but Khawaja, who slammed his 14th Test century, ensured that the visitors were in the driver's seat at the close of play.
The visitors started well in the first half before the Indian bowlers struck twice. Ravichandran Ashwin got the first wicket while Shami scalped the second. Usman Khawaja 27(94) and Steven Smith 2(17) were at the crease for the Aussie team at lunch.
It has been a close race between England seamer James Anderson, India veteran Ravichandran Ashwin and Australia captain Pat Cummins in recent weeks and there is now a tie at the top after the ICC updated their weekly rankings list on Wednesday.
Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne took Australia across the finish line in Indore Test to reduce the four-Test series deficit 1-2 and qualify for World Test Championship final.
Nathan Lyon's eight-wicket haul helped Australia skittle out India for 163 runs in the second inning, leaving the visitors just 76 runs away from a win in the third Test here at the Holkar Cricket Stadium on Thursday
Electing to bat first, India were bundled out for just 109 runs. Indian batters looked helpless in front of Australian spinners. Matthew Kuhnemann (5/16) registered his career-best figures, while spin veteran Nathan Lyon (3/35) also made merry on a pitch that offered a lot of turn to spinner