Australia v India: Peter Siddle keeps hosts in charge

Siddle removed Ravichandran Ashwin and Zaheer Khan with successive balls

Australia continued to dominate India on the third day of the fourth and final Test in Adelaide.

The tourists began on 61-2 in reply to Australia's 604-7 but struggled against paceman Peter Siddle, who took 5-49.

Virat Kohli made his maiden Test century but was last out for 116 as the tourists crumbled for 272.

Australia did not enforce the follow-on but reached 50-3 by the close, 382 ahead, and look on course for a 4-0 series whitewash.

The one consolation for India - who have endured many struggles on their travels in the last year - is that skipper Michael Clarke's decision to bat for a second time on Australia Day will spare the tourists a third successive innings defeat.

With Sachin Tendulkar resuming on 12 not out as play began, attention was inevitably drawn to his long-running search for a 100th international century, having been stuck on 99 hundreds since March 2011 - but having reached 25, he became the first wicket of the day when he edged Siddle to Ricky Ponting at second slip.

Gautam Gambhir and VVS Laxman soon followed, leaving India 111-5 but Kohli, playing only his eighth Test despite being a fixture in the one-day side, led a partial recovery.

He was aided by wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha - making only his second Test appearance himself, deputising for suspended captain Mahendra Dhoni - who made a careful 35 from 94 balls, adding 114 for the sixth wicket with Kohli, before he was bowled by Ryan Harris.

With the target of 405 to avoid the follow-on looking far out of reach, Siddle returned to remove Ravichandran Ashwin and Zaheer Khan with successive deliveries.

Ishant Sharma survived the hat-trick ball and hung around to make 16 as Kohli completed India's first century of the series, before Sharma was yorked by Ben Hilfenhaus (3-62), who then trapped Kohli lbw to wrap up the innings.

Australia had 14 overs to face, but lost all of their rookie top three batsmen before the close.

Off-spinner Ashwin shared the new ball, and removed the openers in successive overs as David Warner chipped a return catch to the bowler and Ed Cowan was trapped in front.

Shaun Marsh, enduring a run of low scores, was adjudged leg before to left-arm seamer Zaheer without scoring, leaving Ponting and Clarke at the crease - with the captain in pole position to plan a declaration on the fourth morning.