Captain Clarke and Ponting put Australia on top in milestone Test

Having ripped through India’s batting in just over two sessions, James Pattinson, Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle sharing the 10 wickets between them, the hosts also found the going tough on a greenish pitch as Zaheer Khan produced a destructive opening spell.

The left-armer removed David Warner (8), Shaun Marsh (0) and Ed Cowan (16) to reduce Australia to a precarious 37-3 before Ponting (44no) and Clarke (47no) steered the hosts to 116-3 at stumps, trailing by 75 runs.

Warner was first to depart when he edged to VVS Laxman at second slip.

Laxman fumbled the regulation chance but Sachin Tendulkar snaffled the rebound to send the left-hander trudging back to the pavilion.

Marsh fell to an almost identical delivery from Khan at the start of the paceman’s next over, but this time Laxman made no mistake to send the batsman packing for a golden duck.

Cowan was Khan’s next victim when he was trapped in front of his stumps, leaving Australia in trouble with less than 10 overs gone.

However, captain Clarke joined former leader Ponting at the crease and the experienced duo helped put their side in the ascendancy with a quick-scoring counter-attack.

Earlier, Pattinson (4-43), Ben Hilfenhaus (3- 51) and Peter Siddle (3-55) picked up where they left off in the first Test in Melbourne with another world-class display of pace bowling.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni top scored for the tourists with an unbeaten 57 after winning the toss and electing to bat, and Tendulkar was the only other batsman to look comfortable.

He looked in ominous touch but will have to wait for his 100th international century after dragging a wide ball from Pattinson onto his stumps for 41 in the middle session.

Dhoni and Ravi Ashwin put on a valuable 54 runs for the seventh wicket before Hilfenhaus removed Ashwin (20) and Khan (0) with the final two deliveries of the session to reduce India to 178-8 at tea.

Dhoni came out swinging at the resumption, reaching his maiden half-century on Australian soil with a blistering cover drive off Siddle before running out of partners.

Sharma departed for a duck when he fended a short ball from Hilfenhaus straight to Cowan at short leg before Umesh Yadav became Siddle’s 100th Test victim when he edged behind to Brad Haddin.

Needing a victory to square the series, the tourists had made a dismal start as Gautam Gambhir (0), Rahul Dravid (5), Virender Sehwag (30) and VVS Laxman (2) all fell before lunch.

Pattinson was the chief destroyer in the opening session claiming three wickets.

Jacques Kallis marked his 150th Test by joining the elite band of players to have made centuries against every Test-playing nation as South Africa took control against Sri Lanka in the series-deciding third Test in Cape Town.

The Proteas were put in to bat but a stand of 205 between Kallis and the recalled Alviro Petersen led them to 347-3 by the close.

Touring captain Tillakaratne Dilshan would have been frustrated by his bowlers’ display on a batsman-friendly surface and will demand improvement.

Home captain Graeme Smith set the tone early on with three boundaries but Dhammika Prasad bowled him and then trapped Hashim Amla lbw, both for 16, to leave South Africa in slight trouble on 56-2.

But Petersen struck six fours and a six in reaching his fourth Test half-century before lunch and Kallis reached his 56th Test fifty from 42 balls early in the afternoon session.

The century partnership came up in just 113 balls and the pair soon passed their country’s third-wicket record against Sri Lanka of 140 – previously held by Kallis and Herschelle Gibbs.

Kallis reached a 114-ball century containing 17 boundaries and Petersen reached his hundred off 165 balls with 12 fours and a six.

Petersen was finally caught by the diving Tillakaratne Dilshan at extra cover, having made 109.

New man AB de Villiers reached 45 not out by the close but the day belonged to Kallis, who will resume on 159 when play begins today.