Having lost four wickets in the second session at M. Chinnaswamy stadium, Australia had recovered to reach 256-4 when Ponting shuffled across his crease and missed Raina's second ball — and 32nd ever in Test cricket — to be out leg before wicket.

Australia had reached 95-0 at lunch but lost Simon Katich four runs later for 43, then Shane Watson was out for 57 with the total on 113. Nineteen runs later, Michael Clarke was on his way for 14, and Michael Hussey made 34 before his dismissal to make it 198-4.

Harbhajan Singh picked up 2-100 from 276 overs, while Zaheer Khan and Pragyan Ojha also picked up a single wicket each.

Marcus North, under pressure to keep his place in the team, was 43 not out and Tim Paine unbeaten on 8 at the close of play.

India leads 1-0 in the series after a one-wicket win in the first Test at Mohali.

Having won the toss, Australia's decision to bat first under heavy skies paid off initially by dominating early through its right- and left-handed opening partnership, with Watson's aggressive batting being complemented by Katich's more sedate approach.

India's bowlers failed to make use of the moisture in the wicket, with Shanthakumaran Sreesanth unable to find his rhythm upon his return from injury, struggling with his line and conceding boundaries to Watson.

Katich took a while to get his eye in but showed his class against the spinners, using his feet well to punish Ojha and Harbhajan when they erred in line or length.

Katich was out when he slashed at a delivery from Harbhajan for Rahul Dravid to comfortably catch him at first slip.

Seven overs later, a beauty from Ojha dismissed Watson. Stretching forward to smother the spin, Watson nicked the ball from the left-arm spinner to wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Watson, who made 126 and 56 in the first Test, hit nine boundaries in 88 balls.

There was more trouble for Australia when Clarke, an accomplished player of spin bowling, was brilliantly caught off his bat and pad at backward short leg by Raina off Harbhajan.

At 132-3 for three, Australia seemed to be in trouble but a defiant Ponting and Hussey mixed aggression with caution to put on 66 runs.

Ponting batted with characteristic poise to punish the Indian bowlers when they erred in direction and length, one straight drive off Khan was one of the shots of the day.

Hussey played Harbhajan and Ojha without much ado, and when Zaheer and Sreesanth returned for second spell, the left-hander pulled and drove with aplomb. But he perished in the second over after tea, slashing Khan to Virender Sehwag at gully.

Ponting and North had then consolidated Australia's position before Raina struck.