Katich top-scored with 81 and Clarke was 76 not out as they guided the tourists to 316 for five after being reduced to 149-4 in the afternoon. Adam Gilchrist was 35 not out at the close.

The 29-year-old Katich, batting in the number three position left vacant by injured captain Ricky Ponting, showed tremendous patience before getting on top of Kumble and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh on a powder-dry pitch, while the 23-year-old Clarke attacked the flagging Indian attack in the final session.

The pair shared in a 107-run fifth wicket stand after Katich had raised 74 runs for the second wicket with opener Justin Langer, who made 52.

The left-handed Katich dug in for almost four hours, facing 168 balls and looked set for a deserved century when he was bowled by Kumble, giving the Indian his 400th Test wicket.

Kumble, playing before his home crowd, threw up his arms in joy and was mobbed by his teammates. He became only the third spinner to reach 400 wickets, ninth overall, and the second Indian bowler after Kapil Dev's 434.

But India did not have too much else to cheer as Australia finished the day strongly.

Debutant Clarke never looked overawed, hitting 11 fours and lofting Kumble for two big sixes and joined Gilchrist to score freely as Australia raised 139 runs in the final session.

Australia, after winning the toss and choosing to bat, began cautiously and looked far from a safe total on a pitch that is already threatening to crumble after Kumble struck twice in quick succession in the afternoon.

The 33-year-old dismissed Damien Martyn to a bat-pad catch in close for three and then had an aggressive Darren Lehmann edging to slips for 17.

Kumble's double-strike came after Langer, who had completed his 21st Test fifty, was yorked by a brutish, swinging delivery from left-arm paceman Irfan Pathan.

Earlier, Australia reached 70 for one at lunch after opener Matthew Hayden fell for 26 when, after initially curbing his aggression, he failed to keep a sweep down against Harbhajan to be caught at mid-wicket.

The first hour produced only 30 runs in 13 overs, mainly due to a fine opening spell by Pathan who conceded just five runs in seven overs.

India abandoned plans to play three spinners, preferring to go in with two seamers in Zaheer Khan and Pathan and two specialist slow bowlers.

Harbhajan, who took 32 wickets to spark India's 2-1 comeback victory over Australia in 2001, however, returned an expensive 1-105 while Kumble finished with 3-86.

The tourists picked three seamers, Glenn McGrath, Michael Kasprowicz and Jason Gillespie, and a lone spinner Shane Warne on a wicket already aiding turn and bounce. Australia are eyeing their first Test series victory in India since 1969-70.

SCOREBOARD

Scoreboard at stumps on the opening day of the first cricket Test between India and Australia at the Chinnaswamy stadium here on Wednesday: