Australia were within sight of their fifteenth successive Test victory after batting with the same ruthless efficiency as they had bowled a day earlier. All the top eight bar Ricky Ponting made useful contributions before his declaration left India a notional target of 499 to win this first Test. The best they can realistically hope to do, with the second Test starting on Wednesday, is keep Australia in the field for as much as possible of what is forecast to be a scorching weekend.

For India, it was another chastening day under a hot sun with a warm northerly wind offering no respite. They were unable not only to make the early inroads needed to stay in the match but also to contain Australia, who cantered along at four runs an over. Harbhajan Singh bowled with a better loop than in the first innings but did not contribute a maiden in 26 overs. With Anil Kumble managing only two, the two spinners could not apply the sort of pressure needed to unsettle attack-minded batsmen.

Matthew Hayden set the tone by bullying his way to 47 off 54 balls. One flat-batted pull for four down the ground off Zaheer Khan could hardly have been more contemptuous, but in trying to loft Harbhajan straight, he holed out to long-off. Ponting edged a good one that bounced to slip, the first time since 2001 that he has made two single-figure scores in the same Test.

Phil Jaques continues to make up for lost time. This was his fifth score in excess of fifty in successive Test innings – two of them converted to hundreds – and yet more evidence that Justin Langer is not being missed. Runs were churned out with the inevitability of an Australian Pommie gibe. Once Jaques was gone, Michael Clarke took over the generalship of the innings, cruising to 73 from 113 balls on a pitch getting lower and slower by the session. Possessor of the fastest feet in world cricket, he used them brilliantly to get down the pitch to drive the spinners.

Although he soon lost Mike Hussey to a slip catch from an uncharacteristically loose drive, Clarke received belligerent support from Andrew Symonds. What were little more than short-arm jabs brought the dread-locked powerhouse two huge sixes over long-on off Kumble. His 44 from 52 balls was ended by an inswinger from round the wicket from Zaheer, who earlier bowled him with a no-ball.

India were a tired team by the time Adam Gilchrist and Brad Hogg stuck their fists in the honeypot. Hogg crashed a brace of sixes off Harbhajan before Ponting’s declaration left India 34 minutes to survive. They did so, but with no great conviction.

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