India's Anil Kumble (centre) celebrates his 600th Test wicket - that of Australia's Andrew Symonds (right) at the WACA in Perth yesterday, on the second day of the third Test match. - AP

PERTH (AP):

INDIA SKITTLED Australia's vaunted batting line-up for just 212 runs yesterday to imperil the home team's long unbeaten home record and quest for a world record 17th straight Test victory.

Left-arm seamer R.P. Singh (4-68) led the attack and Anil Kumble claimed his 600th Test scalp as India established a 118-run first innings lead, and the tourists consolidated that with a solid start to the second innings.

At stumps it was 52 for one, an overall lead of 170 runs after just two days of an eventful third Test. On a day when 15 wickets fell, Indian opener Virender Sehwag held on to be 29 not out at stumps, and he will resume with nightwatchman Irfan Pathan, who is two not out.

Praised new-ball attack

Skipper Anil Kumble praised his young new-ball attack and announced India will stop Australia's 16-Test winning streak.

"We have a great chance to win this Test match," Kumble claimed. "It's important that we play good cricket. We have done that in the last couple of days. It's important to take forward that momentum.

"We bowled brilliantly in partnership and I am very proud of the three young fast bowlers (Singh, Irfan and Ishant Sharma). We executed our plans brilliantly and started building pressure on them when it mattered."

Kumble joined Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan and Australia's retired Shane Warne as the only men to take 600 Test wickets.

"It means a lot," Kumble said. "You don't think when you first start off (that) you will reach that milestone. But having played this long ... you have the belief and faith."

India resumed day two with six wickets down in their first innings. Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Irfan extended their partnership to 44 runs before Dhoni was trapped lbw. That triggered a quick collapse as four wickets fell for just two runs to end the innings.

Mitchell Johnson finished with 4-68 and Brett Lee had 3-71 to be the best of Australia's all-pace attack.

Horrible reply

Australia's reply began horribly as they slumped to 14 for three when Irfan dismissed inexperienced openers Phil Jacques (eight) and debutant Chris Rogers (four) in the space of three balls in the fourth over. Soon after, Singh forced an edge to dismiss Hussey for his first duck in Test cricket.

After lunch, Sharma surprised skipper Ricky Ponting (20) and Michael Clarke (23) with bounce and swing to dismiss the pair in his first three overs and reduced the home side to a humiliating 61 for five.

Andrew Symonds (66) and wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist (55) provided some much-needed steel as they combined for a century stand for the sixth wicket.

Dropped on three by first slip Sachin Tendulkar, Symonds hit eight fours and a six in his 70-ball knock before edging a catch to Rahul Dravid at slip via wicketkeeper Dhoni's glove.

Timely return

Gilchrist made a timely return to form with his first half century of the series, and after hitting Singh for three successive boundaries, edged the next ball to Dhoni, as the delivery bounced disconcertingly. Gilchrist hit nine fours in his near two-hour knock.

Gilchrist said, "There is a long way to go in the game ... we will claw our way into the game.

"We didn't play well ... and handed it back to them. We nicked everything. They bowled enough balls in the right area and we didn't play the right shots.

"They dominated. They used the wind really well, and they were very clever in how they went about (bowling) in partnerships."

There was little resistance from the tail once Symonds and Gilchrist departed, and India bowled out Australia for their lowest first innings total in 41 home Tests, dating back to 2004.

India opener Wasim Jaffer failed again in the second innings, managed 11 before hitting a catch to Hussey at gully off Stuart Clark.