Usman Khawaja's resilient century has put Australia into a position of dominance after the tourists enjoyed a superb day of impressive batting against India in the fourth Test.
Australia are on track to post their best total of the series after Khawaja starred with an unbeaten 104 to help the tourists to 4-255 at stumps on day one in Ahmedabad.
Khawaja batted through the entire day in sweltering conditions on a memorable opening to the Border-Gavaskar series finale as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese in the stadium named after him.
The classy left-hander batted patiently, with his unbeaten century coming from 246 balls.
But all-rounder Cameron Green (49 not out) helped lift Australia's run rate with some outstanding, free-flowing batting in the last session.
The tourists went to tea at 2-149, as Khawaja and acting captain Steve Smith (38) became the first pair from either team to bat through an entire session during this series.
But Smith (38) and Peter Handscomb (17) departed in quick succession after tea, giving India some hope of running through Australia in front of a big home crowd.
Australia's best total of the series is 263 in their first innings of the second Test in Delhi, with India smashing 400 en route to a big victory in the series opener in Nagpur.
The first three Tests all finished in less than three days but this appears to be a more traditional wicket after the pitch in Indore was hit with a "poor" rating from the ICC.
The final Test of the series started after a bizarre political rally before the match involving the prime ministers of both countries.
The coin toss was delayed by four minutes to accommodate the extravagant meeting between Modi and Albanese.
Both leaders did a lap of honour in a hovercraft with bats and stumps on the back of it as they celebrated "75 years of friendship through cricket".
Khawaja and Travis Head (32) put on Australia's best opening partnership of the series, 61, after Smith won the toss and batted first.
But the aggressive Head, who was promoted to open when David Warner left the tour mid-series due to a broken elbow, went for one big shot too many and was caught at mid-on from the bowling of star India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (1-57).
Marnus Labuschange's disappointing debut Test tour of India continued when the world's number one-ranked batter was bowled, chopping on to seamer Mohammed Shami for three.
It was an impressive second spell from Shami (2-65), who bowled a stunning wide with the first ball of the match in scenes reminiscent of England quick Steve Harmison spraying the opening delivery of the 2006-07 Ashes.
India are desperate to bounce back from losing in Indore and to seal their spot in the World Test Championship final with a 3-1 series win.
If the hosts do make the WTC decider, they will meet Australia at The Oval in London in June after the tourists secured their place last week.
Look back on how all the action from Ahmedabad unfolded in our live blog.
Key events
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Live updates
Let's wrap day one up
By Simon Smale
Thanks for being with us everyone for what has been a terrific day of Test cricket.
We'll be back tomorrow at about 2:30pm AEDT for another crucial day.
Until then, goodnight.
Australia still needs to bat longer
By Simon Smale
I was thinking before play started we wouldn’t want to be any worse than 5/250 at stumps. At 4/255 we need some runs from the tail tomorrow to get that score over 400 to put pressure on the Indian batsmen.
- Steve
I agree Steve, that seems like a decent total.
However, there's still a long way to go in this match and Australia's tail has not been good up until now.
As ABC Stato Ric Finlay mentioned earlier in a tweet, Australia's bottom five have added 140 runs at an average of 6.36 in the first three Tests, while India's scored 403 runs at 25.19.
Chalk and cheese.
After a lot of fanfare ... I don't think they broke the record
By Simon Smale
A photo of green was just posted and all you can see are empty seats. Small area I admit, but what is the attendance numbers?
- Moff
I think it's safe to say the record was not broken today - given we received no updates at all on the official crowd figure.
In the sun, most of the seats were empty, with people crowding into the shade, and while we can't begrudge sun safety, it did mean it was unlikely to hold more than the required 91,112 to break the MCG's record.
Khawaja adds India to his century location list
By Simon Smale
First century for Australia this series
By Simon Smale
Is this Australia's first century of the series? Is this the first century of the series full stop????
- Josh
Rohit Sharma got a tonne in Nagpur (120 runs in fact).
But yes, this is Australia's first tonne of the series.
Khawaja also has two of Australia's half centuries (Peter Handscomb has the other two).
'Today, you're going to have to try to get me out': Khawaja
By Simon Smale
Here is Usman Khawaja, speaking to the host broadcaster.
"It was a lot of emotion in that. I'd been to India two tours before this and carried the drinks in all eight Test matches," he says.
"To finally get a hundred in India, as an Australian what what you want to to, that's what you want to tick off so it's very special."
Australia started to take the day away from India in that final session thanks to Cam Green, but it was not a planned event.
"It wasn't our intention [for Green to hit out at the end] but he was hitting it like a beach ball," Khawaja says.
"It was such a nice wicket, I just didn't want to give my wicket away.
"Today, you're going to have to try to get me out.
"It was a mental battle more than anything, because you have to pot your ego away.
"It was just a battle all day.
"I knew the longer I batted, the better it was for us."
Stumps: Australia 4-255 (Khawaja 104, Green 49)
By Simon Smale
A terrific way for Australia to end the day - a big session with 106 runs scored since tea.
Cam Green played a blinder and snuck up to within a run of his half tonne while playing some sumptuous shots.
It's been a hard day - the first attritional day of Test cricket that we've had in the series and it's been a treat to watch.
Every run was hard earned, each wicket a prize to be won for the bowlers.
Khawaja has stood tall throughout and has really cashed in during the Indian summer of his Test career.
90th over - Shami has five balls until the close
By Simon Smale
A moment of joy for Australia - can Shami produce a moment of joy for the hosts?
Khawaja defends and leaves.
He'll be content to see out the rest of the over.
Khawaja fends into the off side - there's no run there.
He takes a single to steal the strike for first thing tomorrow morning with a dab to midwicket.
Century for Usman Khawaja!
By Simon Smale
It's his first century in India.
His first century against India.
He let out a scream of delight as that ball flew to the boundary at midwicket.
It's been a battle of attrition - six hours of batting and 103 runs off 246 balls.
A model of consistency since his recall for the Ashes and superbly poised all day today.
90th over - Final over of the day, Shami to bowl it
By Simon Smale
A change in the attack and it's Mohammed Shami who will have the last set of six before the close.
Khawaja clips through midwicket!
89th over - Jadeja to bowl the penultimate over of the day
By Simon Smale
FOUR! Green cuts and has to reach for the ball but he gets a boundary backward of point to wide third man.
He defends the next.
Green pushes into the off side, looked hesitant but Khawaja pushes the issue and they take an easy single.
Lovely drift, Khawaja defends back down the pitch.
Khawaja now looks to flick the ball into the off side for no run.
A single through midwicket to take the strike and move to 99!
88th over - Ashwin will continue
By Simon Smale
Three to come today before the close.
Khawaja needs three runs to reach his 14th Test century.
Khawaja pushes into the off side, to deep point for a single.
Bat pad for Green, and a slip, Green plays the ball into the ground in front of bat pad, who takes it on the bounce and throws straight back to Ashwin for no run.
Green flicks at a ball that turns past the pads down the leg side, there's an appeal but more out of hope than any sense that it might be given.
FOUR! Oh a magic shot from Green, wide, full, a huge stride and he swings the lumber and gets a boundary to deep extra cover.
Green defends the next.
There's a catching short mid on and Green pushes the ball past him to steal the strike again.
87th over - Jadeja comes into the attack
By Simon Smale
Perhaps its the sight of Ravindra Jadeja coming into the attack that's given Kohli something to smile about. Now can Jadeja makes sure the big crowd goes home happy as well?
Green pushes a drive to mid off for a single, past the straight silly point.
Khawaja, on 96, has just one slip in place and he defends the first.
Bat pad comes into position. Khawaja shuffles to the off side and fends the ball away with a straight bat.
Khawaja fends the ball past bat pad to deep backward square leg and takes a single to move to 97. Can he get his tonne before the close? Could be tight.
Green slaps the ball past silly point and Rohit scampers across to field the ball at mid off. No run.
Green defends the last with an orthodox forward defensive.
Virat Kohli is happy about something...
By Simon Smale
86th over - Ashwin continues
By Simon Smale
Cam Green has stolen the strike and he punches the ball back to Ashwin - it was in the air for a brief moment but was probably a bump ball.
One slip and that catching short mid on standing next to Khawaja at the non-strikers end.
Green defends.
Green holds up the hand and tells Ashwin to wait - he's not ready for him yet.
Now Ashwin aborts as he is in his delivery stride. Mind games are afoot.
Green fends to short mid on and wants a single but is turned down, quite rightly by Khawaja.
Lovely drift out the hand from Ashwin, coming over the wicket to Green, who punches the ball to mid on for a single.
Ashwin comes around the wicket now to left-handed Khawaja and he fends to backward point for no run.
Khawaja presents a straight bat to end the over with a dot.
85th over - Shami has been good and he gets another over with the new ball
By Simon Smale
FOUR! Green unloads with a heave into the on side, the ball bouncing just twice into the wide long on boundary as Shami drops to a middling length just a bit too short.
Green drives but no run into the covers.
Slip, gully, catching short cover in place.
CHANCE! Green's heart is in his mouth as Green fends at a ball that's short outside off stump and comes off the shoulder of the bat - the ball looping up and falling safe in the vacant point area.
Green swipes at a shorter ball and gets a couple to mid wicket.
FOUR! The attempted yorker is just too full and Green drives to long off for another boundary.
Green is on the charge here, he moves to 36 off 48.
Green hooks again - all action from Cam Green as he picks out Pujara in the deep and takes a single.
84th over - Ashwin gets a go with the new ball
By Simon Smale
Yadav has wasted his chance with the hard red cherry and so Ashwin gets handed the ball.
Green is forward defending the first two.
A bit too short, Green slaps the ball to square leg and takes a single off his hip.
Khawaja leaves the ball outside off - a bit of turn from Ashwin with this harder ball with it's harder seam, but again, not much.
Khawaja clips off his pads and takes two down to fine leg.
And two more, they'll have to be quick as the ball rolls towards point, and they are. That was a nice shot, Khawaja just levering the ball with his wrists, opening the face and pushing it square.
Khawaja moves to 96 off 236 balls.
83rd over - Shami has the new ball at the other end
By Simon Smale
Khawaja defends the first - 137kph. That's a bit better, pace-wise.
He defends the second too as he gets a feel for the new ball.
A bye, as Bharat, who had a torrid first half hour misses a regulation take as the ball flies down outside off. Not been a day to remember for the wicketkeeper.
Three slips for Shami as Green takes strike.
Green defends off his stumps, the ball tailing in just a touch to the big West Australian.
Green pushes into the off side and takes a single to backward point.
FOUR! Khawaja clips off his pads and moves to 92 with a boundary to backward square leg. Lovely timing.
82nd over - Umesh Yadav will have the second new ball
By Simon Smale
Two slips and a gully.
India need to bowl better with this new ball than they did the old one - they were well off line and Australia got off to a good start this morning.
Green drives and gets a couple to cover.
Green fends into the on side off leg stump as Yadav bustles in.
FOUR! Green cuts backward of square and gets a boundary.
Yadav has not been quick enough with the new ball, all three balls have been under 130kph and, with the hard new ball, Australia are finding run scoring easy.
Another nice cut, this time forward of square and Pujara gets down on the cover point boundary to save four. They run two instead.
We've lost a slip already.
FOUR! Green plays a wonderful straight drive and the runs are flowing! An effort ball from Yadav, 134kph.
Green defends the last.
Not a good over from Yadav with the new ball - runs flowing for Australia off that over, 12 of them in fact.
