MELBOURNE: Australia were closing in on victory in the first Test after an Indian batting collapse on the fourth day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday.
India, chasing a challenging 292 runs for victory after dismissing Australia for 240, were 117 for six at tea.
Ravi Ashwin was 30 not out off 29 balls with captain M.S. Dhoni on 14.
India's hopes dived once champion batsman Sachin Tendulkar was dismissed for 32 in the 27th over to leave his team wallowing at 81 for six.
The tourists collapsed under the relentless Australian pace attack of James Pattinson, Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle and magnificent fielding and catching.
India, 24 for one at lunch, unravelled in the middle session with five wickets tumbling for 93 runs.
Gautam Gambhir fell to a fired-up Siddle, edging to the safe hands of Ricky Ponting at second slip for 13.
Rahul Dravid was bowled for the second time in the match with a pearler from Pattinson that crashed into his middle-stump for 10 to leave India 58 for three in the 19th over.
V.V.S. Laxman was out cheaply again flicking Pattinson to Ed Cowan at square leg for just one after scoring two in the first innings.
Virat Kohli was out first ball, leg before wicket to Hilfenhaus with Tendulkar fast running out of batting partners.
But Tendulkar was next to go, slicing Siddle to Hussey in the gully for 32. With his departure India's chances darkened considerably, silencing the "Swarmy Army" India supporters and prompting many to leave the ground.
Tendulkar now takes his quest for his 100th international century to next week's second Test in Sydney.
India lost opener Virender Sehwag before lunch, caught brilliantly by Hussey above his head in the gully off Hilfenhaus for four.
History was against India to bring off victory as they faced up to the highest fourth-innings run chase in almost 60 years at the MCG.
South Africa were the last team to achieve a higher fourth-innings target of 297 for four in beating Australia at the cavernous Melbourne ground in 1953.
India struggled to mop up the Australian second innings with the home team adding 61 runs for their last two wickets off 16.3 overs to exasperate the tourists' bowlers.
Yet again no batsman has reached a century in the low-scoring Melbourne Test after Hussey was dismissed for 89.
Pattinson remained unbeaten on 37 not out as he put on 43 runs for the last wicket before Hilfenhaus was the last man out for 14.
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