Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke took the honours of the first day of the fourth Test by smashing tons and let down the Indian bowling once again in the series.
Australia has scored 335 runs for the loss of three wickets at stumps on the opening day of the encounter.
The final Test of the series is being played at Adelaide Oval from January 24, 2012.
Earlier Clarke won the toss and elected to bat with a vision to take command on the match. The decision bounced back when their attacking opener David Warner was declared leg before wicket off the pacer Zaheer Khan one he had scored eight runs.
The first wicket fell at 26 runs as out of form Shaun Marsh took guards and continued struggling once again. Ravichandran Ashwin found a gap between his bat and pad as the ball uprooted his stumps on just three runs with a contribution of mere five runs in the total.
The Indian bowlers looked taking command when the most experienced batsman of Australia, Ponting appeared on the scene and started playing his natural game from the word go. He sent the ball out of the rope often and the runs were flowing from his bat whereas the opener Ed Cowan kept on securing the other end.
The fifty runs association was posted but Cowan was unable to carry on and VVS Laxman held low diving catch at cover off Ashwin at 30 runs. The third wicket fell at 84 runs when one of the finest and confident Captains of the current era, Clarke entered in the middle with 329 embossed on his bat which he smashed in the second Test at Sydney during the current series.
He opened his account with a four at mid off and his body language was positive ever since he took the guards. The Kangaroos reached at 98 runs for the loss of three wickets and the match was evenly poised.
The duo dominated the game after the break, took total command of the game by dominating the rival bowling and the hundred of the partnership was scored in the 53rd over. Ponting hammered his 41st ton in the 64th over as he dispatched a four to Zaheer and was amused with the brilliant innings.
Clarke was going great guns at the other end while butchering the Indian bowling at his will and the boundaries were showering from his willow. He complied another century to his credit by hitting a four towards third-man boundary off 134 balls with the help of one six and 14 fours. He over took Ponting with his brave innings and cracked down the Indian bowling attack while putting them in the corner.
The duo continued their dominance until the close of the first day’s play and posted a threatening score of 335 runs. Ponting and Clarke were unbeaten on 137 and 140 runs and were anticipating towards solidarity which can lead the rivals down in the ongoing Test as well.
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