Travis Head continued to cast a spell over India's bowlers and Steve Smith proved he is far from a spent force as Australia executed their plan perfectly to reach 7-405 at the Gabba.
On a crucial second day in a third Test constantly threatened by rain, Head and Smith hit 152 and 101 respectively to make Australia the only team likely to win.
Jasprit Bumrah played a lone hand again, bagging 5-72 as India's other bowlers struggled to land a punch and combined for an ugly 2-316.
Bumrah struck twice early and took three more wickets late with the new ball, but this was a day that went perfectly to plan for Australia.
The hosts have built their game around giving Head a platform to launch in coming to the wicket against an older ball and a tiring attack.
They did exactly that in Adelaide last week when Head hit a match-winning 140, and repeated the dose on Sunday.
Head and Smith's 241-run fourth-wicket stand lifted Australia from 3-75 to a position of dominance and the chance of a 2-1 lead in the five-Test series.
"If we can get to 30-odd overs when Travis comes in, it makes a big difference to the team," Smith said.
"The seam starts to settle down around 30 or 40 overs, and the ball stays quite hard.
"You see guys batting at number five, six or seven that are able to hit the ball hard and get good value for their shots. That's the way we've been shaping up.
"He's able to put the bowlers under pressure from the outset. He has an unbelievable eye, and the way in which he scores, it's tough to put fielders there."
Head's knock was one of counter-attacking brilliance.
He punished the tourists on the cut shot when offered width, upper-cut when India went overly short, and hooked when it was short and at the body.
The South Australian's last 100 runs came from just 81 balls, in an innings similar to last year's World Test Championship final against India and in Adelaide last week.
If Head's innings was one of hard-hitting action, Smith's was a release of 18 months of pent-up frustration.
Without a century in his previous 24 knocks dating back to the 2023 Ashes, Smith was made to fight early against an Indian attack ready to break the game open.
He walked to the crease after Usman Khawaja (21) and Nathan McSweeney (9) fell to Bumrah, and watched Marnus Labuschagne edge off driving a wide ball on 12.
But with Head at the other end, Smith began to flourish.
His pull shot was back in front of square leg, while the masterful cover drive that has been a staple of his career had also returned.
Smith was moving around the crease to pick up runs on the leg side, while still punching the ball back past the bowler for four when India went too full.
At age 35, Smith's long run without a century had become an ongoing narrative this summer, as critics questioned the senior nature of Australia's team.
But this was an innings that showed he still had his old ability to score runs, and could be a threat in both this series and next summer's Ashes.
"It was just nice to get to three figures, it's been a little while," Smith said.
"It's been tricky. The first couple of games I had a couple of nice balls and got strangled down the legside in Adelaide.
"I feel like I have been batting well the last month or so - sticking to my processes and trusting it will turn around."
Further rain now looms as Australia's biggest threat in Brisbane after most of day one was washed out, but Alex Carey's late 45no from 46 balls has helped provide some chance of winning while batting only once.
