Australia debutant Peter Forrest is on track for a maiden one-day international half-century as he leads the fight back against India in the Commonwealth Bank Series clash at Adelaide Oval, with the hosts 3-118 after 25 overs.
Forrest is unbeaten on 40 following a classy display at the crease which has included four boundaries and a thumping six.
Australia lost Ricky Ponting (6) early before they recovered courtesy of captain Michael Clarke's blistering 38.
The hosts then lost David Warner (18), run out in a calamitous mix-up with Clarke, just after reaching the team's 50, but the skipper remained in terrific touch finding the boundary rope five times.
Australia's innings was at risk of collapsing when Clarke's ferocious batting came to an end but Forrest along with veteran David Hussey (12 not out) repelled India during the second powerplay of the day.
Having won the toss and elected to bat, Australia began in a sluggish fashion, failing to make the most of the batter-friendly conditions.
The Indian bowlers looked hungry and spirited as they cramped openers Warner and Ponting at the crease.
Ponting eventually paid for the slow start when nudged a thick edge from Vinay Kumar to Virat Kohli at backward point.
Warner and Clarke revived the stuttering start however, with the duo responding well to India's early onslaught.
Clarke in particular was in red-hot form as he smashed back-to-back fours in the fifth and sixth over.
The 30-year-old was hitting the ball sweetly, driving and spreading shots right off the meat of the bat all over the ground as he raced past Warner in the scoring and took Australia's run-rate past six an over.
Warner followed suit as he began to free himself at the stumps until the slogging left-hander was run out in the ninth over following a disastrous mix-up with his skipper.
Warner had called to run before aborting the decision half-way down the wicket, oblivious to Clarke charging through for a single, as he was caught ball-watching, leaving Rohit Sharma with an easy throw and run out at the bowlers end.
First-gamer Forrest wasted no time however in making an impression on the international stage when, on only his ninth ball faced, hammered a cut shot off the front foot for four.
The 26-year-old followed it up with a cracking six high over long on just four balls later.
Clarke couldn't keep with the Queenslander however when he was caught off guard by a slower ball from Umesh Yadav in the 18th over that the New South Welshman edged onto his stumps, bringing an end to his entertaining knock.