Smith and Johnson drive Australia towards India tally
ByReuters
Published 19/12/2014 at 02:19 GMT
Skipper Steve Smith scored a century and Mitchell Johnson a quick-fire 67 as Australia battled their way to 351 for six at lunch after the loss of two early wickets on the third day of the second test against India in Brisbane on Friday.
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Australia resumed on 221-4 in reply to India's tally of 408 but it was the tourists who claimed the upper hand in the first hour with Mitchell Marsh and Brad Haddin sent back to the dressing room by some fine pace bowling.
Johnson stopped the rot in no uncertain fashion with a pugnacious unbeaten 67 in 53 balls to share a seventh-wicket partnership of 104 with Smith, who brought up his sixth test century with his 10th four just before lunch.
Smith, deputising for the injured Michael Clarke for the remainder of the series, was 110 not out at the break having scored 324 runs since last being dismissed after unbeaten innings of 162 and 52 in the first test victory in Adelaide.
The partnership took Australia to within 57 runs of India's score little more than an hour after it looked like they would face a big first innings deficit.
Marsh, hampered by a hamstring injury sustained on Wednesday, had added just four runs to his overnight score of seven when he left an inswinger from Ishant Sharma only to see the ball crash into the top of his off stump.
Haddin was fortunate to survive two lbw appeals in the first four balls he faced and rarely looked comfortable before departing for six when he fended a short Varun Aaron delivery straight to Cheteshwar Pujara at short leg.
Johnson, fired up by some sledging from the tourists, then clubbed the bowling around a ground where he has a batting average of more than 30, hitting one six and 10 fours in a belligerent knock.
Australia won a dramatic first test in Adelaide by 48 runs last weekend to take a 1-0 lead in the series, which was rejigged after the death of Phillip Hughes and concludes with tests in Melbourne and Sydney.
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