Adam Gilchrist broke Mark Boucher's world record for dismissals on Friday before Australia began the daunting task of trying to match India's imposing total on the second day of the fourth and final Test.
Gilchrist claimed his 414th Test victim, eclipsing the South African's previous record of 413 dismissals by a wicketkeeper, to end India's first innings on 526.
Australia, in reply, were 62 without loss when stumps were drawn with Matthew Hayden unbeaten on 36 and his opening partner Phil Jaques on 21 and the home side still 464 runs in arrears.
The Adelaide Oval has long been renowned as a batsmen's paradise and the Indians made the most of their opportunity thanks to some spirited lower-order batting.
Sachin Tendulkar top-scored with a majestic 153 while skipper Anil Kumble (87), opener Virender Sehwag (63), spinner Harbhajan Singh (63) and middle-order batsman Vangipurappu Laxman (51) all helped themselves to half-centuries.
Australia briefly looked as though they might restrict the Indians to less than 400 when they got rid of Tendulkar with the total on 359 but struggled to mop up the last three wickets.
Kumble and Harbhajan kept the tail wagging with an adventurous eighth-wicket partnership of 107 then the Indian captain put on a 58-run stand with the number 11 Ishant Sharma to frustrate the Australians and lift the total past 500.
Left-arm seamer Mitchell Johnson was the pick of the Australian bowlers, capturing four wickets, while express paceman Brett Lee toiled hard in the searing heat to claim three victims.
BRIGHT START
Australia made a bright start to the day when they dismissed Mahendra Singh Dhoni for 16 then grabbed the prize wicket of Tendulkar in the first hour of play.
However, the hosts blew their chances to polish off the innings quickly when Jaques dropped Harbhajan at short-leg off the first ball he faced.
Harbhajan, who missed India's victory in last week's third test in Perth when the selectors opted for an extra paceman, made the butter-fingered Australians pay dearly for their missed chance, one of seven catches they dropped in the innings.
He pounded seven boundaries to join the list of half-century makers before he chanced his arm once too often and skied a catch to Gilchrist off all-rounder Andrew Symonds.
That gave Gilchrist a share of Boucher's record and the 36-year-old claimed the outright record for himself when Kumble edged a simple catch off Johnson to end the innings.
The Indian skipper had batted 260 minutes, faced 205 balls and struck nine boundaries to fall just short of a second test hundred, but not before he put his team in a strong position to push for a series-equalling win.
Australia won the first two matches in Melbourne and Sydney but India's victory in Perth has presented the tourists with the chance of salvaging a draw.
