India paceman Zaheer Khan (2-49) bowled Australia captain Michael Clarke for 31 and had Mike Hussey controversially caught behind for a duck with the next ball to take the initiative from the home side at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday. [break]
Opener Ed Cowan, who top-scored in his test debut with a watchful 68 from 177 balls, became the third wicket to fall in just 19 deliveries when caught behind off Ravichandran Ashwin as Australia slid from 205-3 to 214-6.
India carried all the momentum and it looked like Australia was about to suffer another of the giant batting collapses that had plagued the team in recent series, but Haddin (21 not out) and Siddle (34 not out) put on a disciplined performance to put the game back on an even keel, having seen off the second new ball.
Hussey, struggling for runs of late and with his place in the team under threat, walked disgustedly from the field after being given out by umpire Marias Erasmus. Television replays indicated the ball hit Hussey´s shoulder, but could not challenge the decision under the Umpire Decision Reviews System because it is not being used in this series after the Indian cricket board raised concerns over its accuracy.
Australia´s Ricky Ponting bat (AP)
Cowan combined for a 113-run stand with former captain Ricky Ponting (62) after lunch, putting Australia temporarily in control after the loss of David Warner and Shaun Marsh to Umesh Yadav (3-96) in the morning session.
Ponting became Yadav´s third victim when he was caught in slips by V.V.S. Laxman for 62 shortly before tea.
The 37-year-old Ponting, a veteran of 158 tests, has weathered persistent calls for his retirement this year and was selected for the Boxing Day test despite managing scores of just 5 and 16 in his previous match against New Zealand.
He brought up his 58th half-century when he lofted an Ashwin ball to mid-wicket for three runs and raised his bat to a standing ovation from 70,000-plus fans.
Up-and-coming India pacemen Yadav gave Australia a scare by dismissing two of the side´s most potent batsman.
Warner, who carried his bat for an unbeaten 123 in just his second test earlier this month against New Zealand, smashed 37 off 49 deliveries before being caught by wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni off the first ball after a brief rain delay when attempting to hook Yadav.
Shaun Marsh faced just six balls before becoming Yadav´s second victim when he was caught for a duck by Virat Kohli at gully, celebrated by a sizable and vocal crowd of Indian supporters.
Cowan started his first test in cautious fashion, in contrast to Warner´s dashing approach after Clarke won the toss and elected to bat on a green MCG wicket.
Melbourne was battered by storms and torrential rain Sunday night, but play began on time Monday despite the damp conditions and heavy skies. The players left the field briefly due to a shower midway through the first session but returned after just a few minutes, and the start of the second session was delayed by 40 minutes due to drizzle.
Sachin Tendulkar will renew his quest to become the first cricketer to score a 100th international century when India opens its first innings. Tendulkar has been stuck on 99 centuries since March.
India has not won a test series in 64 years of touring Australia
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