The world champions set an imposing fourth-innings target of 457 and then reduced India to 105 for six by the close on Day Four.

Rahul Dravid, the only batsman to offer significant resistance, was not out after a stubborn 47 which delayed Australian celebrations as they prepared to go 1-0 up in the four-Test series.

The 34-year-old McGrath, who only returned to action in June after a 12-month layoff following ankle surgery, once again began the slide.

He trapped opener Virender Sehwag leg before for a seven-ball duck before finishing the day with two for nine from 12 miserly overs.

The Indian top-order quickly crumbled on a powdery pitch of variable bounce, slumping to 19 for four after Leg-spinner Shane Warne struck first ball to trap Vangipu-rappu Laxman lbw for three.

India, 352 runs in arrears, are in danger of sinking lower than their biggest Test defeat by runs, by 329 against South Africa in Calcutta in 1996.

India's slight hopes of salvaging a draw were dented straightaway by the new ball pair of McGrath and Jason Gillespie.

McGrath, who took four for 55 in the first innings, trapped Sehwag in his second over, although TV replays suggested he had nicked the ball onto his pads.

There was no such doubt when fellow opener Aakash Chopra, out for duck in the first innings, fell lbw to Gillespie for five.

Captain Sourav Ganguly then he ran himself out attempting a needless single to make it three for 12 before Warne got Laxman for the second time in the match.

Dravid and Yuvraj Singh (27) added 62 runs for the fifth wicket, but McGrath returned to have the left-hander caught behind.

Warne, aiming to stamp his class in India after struggling on two previous tours, extracted tremendous turn to keep the Indian batsmen under pressure at the other end.

The 35-year-old trapped Parthiv Patel lbw for four to claim his second wicket, leaving him one shy of Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitha-ran's world record Test haul of 532.

Earlier, Australia were 228 all out in their second innings after lunch, following another superb display by Harbhajan Singh.

The 24-year-old turbaned off spinner captured six for 78, taking five of the last six wickets after Australia resumed on their overnight 127 for four.

It was a magnificent comeback into Test cricket for the bowler who captured 32 wickets to spark India's amazing 2-1 comeback victory over Australia in 2001.

Harbhajan, who also took five for 146 in the first innings, claimed his third 10-wicket haul, all against Australia.

It was his fifth consecutive five-wicket effort against Australia.

The bowler had been sidelined since undergoing surgery on his spinning finger in December and returned only in August.

Damien Martyn top-scored with 45 as Australia's batsmen struggled on a fourth-day pitch of variable bounce, six of them caught in the close cordon facing spin.