Australia have bounced back from their Perth disaster with a masterful performance at Adelaide Oval to be in the box seat to level the Border-Gavaskar series.
After 10 days of fierce criticism following their first Test capitulation, Australia have produced two days of dominance with the pink ball, leaving India 5-128 at stumps on Saturday night, still trailing by 29 runs.
Proven matchwinner Rishabh Pant looks the only Indian left capable of denying Australia a perfect 8-0 record in day-night Tests in Adelaide.
The keeper-batter will go into day three unbeaten on 28 after typically taking the game on under lights, even with India in trouble.
Travis Head blasted a classic, game-changing 140 in Australia's 337, the South Australian putting on a spectacle of controlled hitting in front of his home crowd.
"I think criticism is due when you're not playing well, when you have a bad week, that's how it is," Head said about the fallout from the first Test.
"I hope that works the other way, when we've had a really good week..
"We've had a really good build-up and what's spoken about over the next couple of days, and hopefully have a really good couple of days, and I guess, gain a bit of that positive chat around."
Scott Boland (2-35), playing his first Test since July 2023 after being called up to replace the injured Josh Hazlewood, struck with his first ball of the innings.
After a golden duck in the first innings, whiz-kid opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was looking dangerous, like he did in Perth when he smashed 161.
But Boland immediately removed the left-handed prodigy for 24 when he came on to bowl under lights.
The 35-year-old Victorian also claimed the prized wicket of Perth centurion Virat Kohli (11), who has an excellent record at Adelaide Oval.
Head proved India's nemesis once again, slamming a brilliant century to give Australia a commanding 157-run first-innings lead.
The aggressive left-hander hammered 17 boundaries and four sixes after they started the day at 1-86, still 94 behind India's 180.
The 30-year-old celebrated his eighth century - the fastest ton in day-night Test history - by making a cradling motion with bat and arms in a nod to the recent birth of his second child.
Head was eventually bowled by Mohammed Siraj (4-98) 20 minutes before tea, with the pair engaging in a fiery exchange after the India quick gave the hometown hero a send-off.
Walking off the ground, Head appeared to mouth some expletives back at the opening bowler.
Siraj was then booed relentlessly by the Adelaide Oval crowd for the rest of Australia's innings.
Head has given India's bowlers some painful memories in the past 18 months.
His third Test century at Adelaide Oval follows 163 in the World Test Championship final, as well as a famous ton in Australia's stunning ODI World Cup final triumph.
After punishing Australia by 295 runs in the first Test, India have reasons to be concerned.
Their wrecking ball Jasprit Bumrah (4-61) received treatment on a leg issue mid-over for up to five minutes during the session.
Bumrah, who has a long injury history largely due to his unique action, bowled out the session, but India will be concerned by the fitness of their most important player.
Earlier, Marnus Labuschagne went about silencing his critics with an impressive 64.
Bumrah had removed Nathan McSweeney (39) and Steve Smith (2) earlier in the first session, but Labuschagne and Head put on a 65 together.
After seeing off Bumrah, Labuschagne (64) played a lazy shot off allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy and was caught 20 minutes before the end of the opening session.
Smith clipped one down the leg side to Pant off Bumrah to be out for two.
The 35-year-old has gone 24 innings since scoring a Test century, his last coming at Lord's in the 2023 Ashes.
Smith is averaging just 23.20 this year, with his only score of note being an unbeaten 91 when he carried his bat in Australia's stunning defeat against West Indies in January.
Labuschagne was back to his free-flowing best, hitting well-timed shots to all areas of the ground in a much-needed confidence boost for himself and the team.
Recalled spinner Ravichandran Ashwin pleaded for captain Rohit Sharma to review an lbw decision on Mitch Marsh.
But replays appeared to show Marsh, well out of his crease, had hit the ball before it made contact with his pad.
Marsh, however, was involved in a bizarre dismissal in the second session when he effectively gave himself out for nine.
He started walking towards the change room after a half-hearted appeal from India, with the umpire then deciding to raise his finger.
Replays showed Marsh had missed the ball by some margin, though there was a noise from his bat striking his front pad.
