Shikhar Dhawan blasted an 85-ball hundred on debut as India coasted to 0-156 at tea on day three of the third Test against Australia.
Steve Smith (92) and tailender Mitchell Starc (99) narrowly missed scoring their maiden Test hundreds in Australia’s first-innings total of 408.
Australia relied on a lower-order fightback to produce their highest score of the series after being 7-251.
However Delhi-born left-hander Dhawan produced what’s believed to be the fastest debut hundred in Test history, plundering 21 fours to reach his century in Mohali.
Murali Vijay is 42 not out, playing second fiddle to the fireworks of the moustache-wearing Dhawan who’s on 106 from 90 deliveries.
Spinner Xavier Doherty conceded 18 runs from his fourth over as left-hander Dhawan moved from 69 to 87 with four fours and a two, including a switch-hit sweep to the right-hander’s fine-leg boundary.
Dhawan poked an edge through gully off Peter Siddle’s bowling to reach 98 and later in the over dived in for a single to complete his hundred, quickly getting to his feet and raising both arms in triumph after ripping off his helmet.
Earlier, No.5 batsman Smith and No.9 Starc shared a crucial 97-run stand for Australia’s eighth wicket.
The homeworkgate affair which sent shockwaves through world cricket on Monday night presented Smith with the chance to play his first Test since January 2011.
The energetic 23-year-old grabbed it with both hands with a brilliant knock on a turning pitch, making it hard for selectors to drop him for the fourth Test in Delhi on March 22.
Starc, also 23, was on 56 when his NSW teammate Smith was stumped playing a defensive prod at 8-348.
But Australia’s tail continued to wag as Starc and Nathan Lyon (nine not out) added 51 for the ninth wicket.
A nervous Starc was caught behind on 99 off the bowling of paceman Ishant Sharma.
Xavier Doherty was last man out for five as Sharma (3-72) and left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja (3-77) claimed the bowling honours for the home side.
India lead the four-match series two-nil.
