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Scott Boland has taken 4-31 to put Australia on top of the fifth Test in Sydney, with India all out for 185 on day one before the hosts went to stumps at 1-9.
Scott Boland has put Australia a step closer to reclaiming the Border-Gavaskar trophy against fierce rivals India before a fiery end to day one lit a fuse for the rest of the Sydney Test.
With India needing to win the final Test at the SCG to level the series 2-2 and retain the trophy, Boland bagged four wickets to bowl the tourists out for 185.
Australia then went to stumps at 1-9 after Jasprit Bumrah and Sam Konstas clashed twice in the final over and Usman Khawaja edged off on the final ball of the day.
Bumrah immediately turned to celebrate in the face of Konstas while other Indians ran towards him as Australia's openers left the field.
Still, the day belonged to Boland after he took 4-31 and claimed the key wickets of Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Yashavi Jaiswal and Nitish Kumar Reddy.
His efforts headlined a nightmare day for India, who axed captain Rohit Sharma for the decider, then won the toss and batted on a green wicket under cloud cover.
Boland continues to be considered Australia's back-up paceman, playing only 13 of 37 Tests since his magical debut in Melbourne three summers ago.
His chance this summer has only come after Josh Hazlewood's season-ending calf strain in Brisbane.
But there is now a very clear argument Boland belongs in Australia's first-choice attack no matter who is available, after another red-letter day in Sydney.
The 35-year-old's 20 overs took him past 2000 balls at Test level, a mark generally considered as a qualifier to be recognised on the all-time bowling averages list.
Boland now has 50 wickets at 18.88, placing him above Bumrah (19.36) with the best average of any bowler with 2000 or more balls since Englishman Frank Tyson (18.56) in the 1950s.
In his best return since his unforgettable 6-7 on debut, Boland swung the ball prodigiously and seemed to have it on a string.
He had Jaiswal (10) caught at slip by debutant Beau Webster in his first over, before he thought he had Kohli first ball when he edged to slip.
Steve Smith went low and scooped the ball up to Marnus Labuschagne in the gully, but third-umpire Joel Wilson ruled leather had touched grass in Smith's attempt.
Boland eventually got his man, removing Kohli for the fourth time in his career when the Indian megastar edged to Webster in the slips after lunch on 12.
Seamer Boland should have also had Rishabh on 10 when Smith spilled a chance, but later wore down the uncharacteristically patient left-hander and had him caught pulling on 40.
Reddy went next ball when the Melbourne century-maker edged Boland to slip, before the hat-trick ball just beat Washington Sundar's edge.
"He's a difficult customer, Scotty," Webster said
"If there is anything in the wicket he finds it. And if there is nothing in the wicket he still manages to find a way through.
"He's been fantastic this whole series when he's got his chance. He is relentless. His line, length and natural angle makes it really hard.
"He can bowl long spells and back up the next day, he's just been superb."
Mitchell Starc took 3-49 in the rout, including Ravindra Jadeja lbw for 26 and KL Rahul on four when the opener picked out square leg early in the day.
Pat Cummins also had more DRS drama off his bowling when Washington was caught down leg side in the final session.
Like Jaiswal in Melbourne, Washington was given not out on the field before snicko showed a small spike as the ball appeared to brush his glove en route to keeper Alex Carey.
Webster also sent down 13 overs of stump-to-stump bowling on debut and went for only 29 runs.
A series win over India would ensure Australia have every bilateral trophy available to them, while victory at the SCG would also ensure qualification for the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord's in June.
