India turn up the heat on Aus on dramatic Day 2

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Perth, January 17:: Australia's bid to break their own world record for consecutive Test wins was on shaky ground on Thursday after their batting collapsed on a dramatic second day of the third Test against India in Perth.

India bowled the Australians out for 212 in 50 overs then added 52 runs for the loss of one wicket, reaching stumps with an overall lead of 170 at the WACA.

Australia, who won the first two matches in the series to equal their own world record of 16 consecutive test wins, looked to have gained the upper hand early in the day.

The hosts polished off the Indian first innings for 330 before lunch, capturing the last four wickets for just two runs.

However, their own batting crumbled on a scorching hot day where the temperature climbed past 41 degrees Celsius.

Indian spinner Anil Kumble joined Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne as the only players to claim 600 Test wickets while wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni took five excellent catches, including four off impressive leftarm paceman Rudra Pratap Singh.

RP Singh was the pick of the bowlers, taking 4-68, while Irfan Pathan and teenager Ishant Sharma grabbed two apiece as the Indian seamers succeeded in rattling the Australians with their ability to extract movement both off the pitch and in the air.

The Australians lost their first three wickets before the total had passed 14, then their last five for 47 runs. Only Andrew Symonds (66) and Adam Gilchrist (55) saved them from complete disaster.

It was in stark contrast to the morning session when Mitchell Johnson and Stuart Clark combined to knock off the last four Indian wickets in 17 deliveries.

Clark trapped Dhoni lbw for 19 with a ball that straightened up and hit above the knee roll and had Kumble caught by test debutant Chris Rogers for one at gully.

Johnson dismissed Pathan for 28 when he struck him on the pads with a full toss in the next over then finished off the innings by dismissing RP Singh for a duck, caught in the gully by Mike Hussey.

FIRST TEST DUCK

Australia could hardly have made a worse start to their reply as Pathan, playing his first match of the series after replacing Harbhajan Singh, dismissed Rogers (four) and his fellow opener Phil Jaques (eight) in the same over before lunch.