Day Two of this Test in Pune began with Australia’s tail-enders trying to eke a respectable first-innings total.

It began with Shane Warne in the commentary box, questioning whether Steve O’Keefe warranted selection as Australia’s second-string spinner.

And, about seven-and-a-half hours and 15 wickets later, Day Two drew to a close with Australia holding a 298-run lead in its second innings, and O’Keefe having routed the home team with better figures than Warne ever returned in a Test innings in India.

O’Keefe snared an astonishing six wickets in 24 balls to help Australia bundle out India for 105.

The 32-year-old left-arm spinner, who feared his international career was over after returning from Sri Lanka last year with a hamstring injury, grabbed a career-best haul of 6-35, including an over in which he took the wickets of KL Rahul (who top scored with 64), Ajinkya Rahane and Wriddhiman Saha.

Warne, commentating for Star Sports, began the day questioning why the selectors opted for ”safe option” O’Keefe ahead of the squad’s other spinners, Mitchell Swepson or Ashton Agar.

“You don’t see him as a huge danger with big-turning deliveries,” Warne said. “He bowls tight.

“In these conditions, guys like Swepson and Agar could have been more of a danger option.”

Steve O'Keefe Took 6 Wkts Against India. What A Spell.
W 1 W . W . . . . . . . 1 W 1 . . . W 1 . . 1 W#INDvAUS #AUSvIND #IndvsAus pic.twitter.com/4ladfxrEZL

— Sir Jadeja fan (@SirJadeja) February 24, 2017

But O’Keefe and Nathan Lyon thrived on the crumbling, turning pitch, while pacemen Mitch Starc (2/38 including a double-wicket maiden) and Josh Hazlewood (1/11) sliced open the top order with bounce and swing.

Starc swung momentum Australia’s way by dismissing Virat Kohli for a second-ball duck. The Indian captain, who was out driving expansively at a wide ball edged to first slip, had not scored a duck in his past 104 international innings, stretching back to a one-day match in Cardiff in 2014.

India, the top-ranked Test team, lost its last seven wickets for a staggering 11 runs, the worst late-order collapse in its Test history. Its previous lowest contribution from the last seven wickets was 18 runs in Christchurch in 1989-90.

If the bowlers gave Australia the upper hand, the batsmen then capitalised, setting up a golden chance for the tourists to secure their first Test win in India since 2004.

Only once has a team chased more than 300 and won in India: Dec 2008, India posted 4-387 against Eng in Chennai. Sachin made 103no #INDvAUS

— Sam Ferris (@samuelfez) February 24, 2017

Australia began its second innings with Shaun Marsh opening the batting in place of Mark Renshaw, who had been off the ground due to illness when Australia was fielding.

While Marsh (a 21-ball duck) and David Warner (10) both fell cheaply to have Australia struggling at 2/23, captain Steve Smith (59 not out) batted superbly to guide his charges to 4/143 at stumps, a lead of 298 on a deteriorating pitch.

He will resume on Day Three with Mitch Marsh, who survived a few scares to be unbeaten on 21.

But who knows what Day Three will hold in store.

– with AAP