Steve Barrett
at Adelaide Oval
Peerless undefeated centuries from batting lynchpins Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting have helped Australia thunder to a commanding position at stumps on day one of the fourth Test against India at Adelaide Oval.
Captain Michael Clarke (140 not out) and former skipper Ricky Ponting (137 not out) came together with the score at 3-84 shortly before lunch before sharing in a record-breaking unbeaten 252-run stand for the fourth-wicket to guide Australia to 3-335 at the close of play in super-hot conditions.
It was the duo's second double-hundred stand of the series after their 288-run union during the second Test in Sydney when Clarke notched a memorable triple ton.
Tuesday's mammoth partnership also broke Ponting and Clarke's own previous Australian record fourth-wicket stand in Adelaide Tests against India 210, which they achieved four years ago today.
Ponting - who when he reached 81 became the third man in history after Indian pair Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid to accumulate 13,000 Test runs - powered to his 41st Test century after coming in with his side in a spot of bother at 2-31 after 10 overs.
The crowd rose to its feet when Ponting worked Zaheer Khan behind square for a couple but the faithful were quickly subdued when the signal for leg byes was realised, the ball clearly deflecting off the batsman's thigh pad.
The very next ball Ponting received a standing ovation and raised his arms triumphantly after he pushed Zaheer between point and gully for two to bring up his second hundred of the series, this dig far more fluent than his determined, gutsy knock at the SCG.
With the ton - which arrived off 164 balls and included 11 boundaries - Ponting drew level with South African Jacques Kallis in second place for all-time most Test centuries, behind only India's Sachin Tendulkar (51).
Amazingly, it was Ponting's fourth ton in as many Tests against India at Adelaide Oval - all coming in the first innings - and sixth overall at this ground.
Clarke has enjoyed a similar success rate, his magnificent ton his second in as many stints at the Adelaide crease against India.
Four overs after Ponting saluted, Clarke caressed Umesh Yadav to the third man boundary to register his 19th Test ton.
He removed his helmet and kissed the crest as the crowd rose once more to celebrate an innings that was arguably even more aggressive and impressive than Ponting's.
It was Clarke's fifth century in 12 Tests since taking over as skipper and fifth overall against India.
The 30-year-old's wonderful, momentum-shifting century came off just 133 balls and including 14 fours and a big six.
That six came on just the second ball after tea when Clarke, making his intentions clear, charged India's acting skipper Virender Sehwag - who surprisingly bowled himself immediately after the break - and thumped him over the long straight boundary.
Ponting and the imperious Clarke were rarely troubled in perfect batting conditions under hot, sunny skies against a listless Indian outfit.
The pitch, which was a belter and further flattened throughout the day, didn't assist the tourists' cause, but they didn't help themselves either with a general lack of energy and intensity, inattentive fielding, defensive field placings and some pedestrian bowling.
Ishant Sharma (0-50) bowled better than his figures suggested. He was unlucky at times and asked plenty of probing questions of the in-form pair, bowling some