Australian captain Adam Gilchrist rejected the opportunity to enforce a follow on against India in the test series opener Friday after gaining a 228-run lead in the first innings.
Australia, chasing its first test series triumph on Indian soil in 35 years, had scored 474 in its first innings.
During its last tour to India in 2001, Australia lost a test match after enforcing the follow on, which appeared to have played a role in Gilchrist's decision not to risk batting last on an unpredictable Chinnaswamy Stadium track.
Three years ago, India fashioned one of the most remarkable comebacks in test history after being forced to follow-on in the second test at Calcutta. Outplayed in the opening test at Bombay, India had bounced back from the brink to clinch the series 2-1.
By tea, the Aussies had stretched the lead to 252, losing opener Justin Langer for a duck in the first over from Irfan Pathan to reach 24 for one. Matthew Hayden was batting on six and Simon Katich on 18 at the break.
Australia's ace leg-spinner Shane Warne closed on Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan's all-time test record of 532 wickets when he broke the Indian lower order's resistance Friday morning.
Warne, whose haul of two for 78 took his tally to 529, broke the defiant seventh-wicket partnership between overnight batsmen Parthiv Patel and Irfan Pathan 15 minutes before the lunch break.
Resuming at an overnight score of 150 for six, Patel and Pathan took their stand to 60 before Warne had Pathan caught behind by Gilchrist for 31. The partnership came after Australia's pace bowlers ripped through India's top order Thursday to seize control of the match.
Pathan began the day's play by hitting fast bowler Glenn McGrath for four to third man, before lofting him to the mid-off fence.
He smashed ace spinner Warne to the mid-wicket fence in Friday's 24th over, but was out next ball as tried to fend away a ball outside the off-stump.
Patel, 19, continued to thwart the Aussie charge before falling four runs short of what might have been his fourth half-century in 17 tests. He was bowled through the gate by Jason Gillespie in the second over with the new ball.
Patel's 3-1/2 hour knock contained five boundaries off 96 deliveries.
McGrath had Harbhajan Singh (8) caught by Darren Lehmann in the covers and Gillespie then bowled Anil Kumble (24) to end India's resistance.
McGrath's haul of four for 55 on his return to test cricket from injury was Australia's best figures, while Gillespie finished with two for 63.
Zimbabwe versus Sri Lanka
Zimbabwe captain Tatenda Taibu aims to break a losing streak of 12 limited overs internationals today when he leads his young side against Sri Lanka in a must-win triangular series game.
"It's time now for us to break the ice and win a game," Taibu told reporters Thursday.
Pakistan has already qualified for the Oct. 16 final after beating Zimbabwe twice and thrashing Sri Lanka by eight wickets in Karachi on Wednesday.
Zimbabwe has lost all its one-day internationals since leading white players revolted against the Zimbabwe Cricket Union over its selection policy in April 2004. However, under Taibu, Zimbabwe gave Pakistan a scare in the first two games last week. It narrowly lost the second game at Peshawar by three wickets after posting a fighting target of 252 for four.
Zimbabwe also put up a spirited fight against Sri Lanka at the ICC Champions Trophy in England last month before lost went down by four wickets, mainly due to the inexperience of its backup bowlers.
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