In a stark contrast to the first session when Indian bowlers seemed to keep the run flow in check, Ponting and Clarke found their rhythm on a hot day reaching to their fifties in quick time and ensuring no further hiccup.
Ponting, in particular has looked in deft touch throughout the innings and his trademark shots were on full display at Adelaide as he reached a personal milestone of 13000 Test runs.
Towards the end of the second session, Clarke opened up his arms and creamed R Aswhin’s 19th over for 12 runs via three boundaries- -twice at cover and one towards point to take the Australian total to 203 runs at the loss of three wickets.
As the Australian duo scored 116 runs in the session, Indian bowlers looked frustrated with R Ashwin in particular looking perturbed as run flow became smoother as compared to the morning session.
Umesh Yadav was the most expensive of the lot as his nine overs produced 67 runs.
Second session
Michael Clarke creamed a frustrated R Ashwin’s 19th over for 12 runs via three boundaries-twice at cover and one towards point to take the Australian total to 203 runs at the loss of three wickets.
He had earlier struck back to back boundaries off Ashwin to raise his bat for a fifty. A pull off the back foot towards midwicket boundary got him to 47 and for the next delivery; he stepped out to play towards mid-on for another four.
Before him, a fluent Punter on a placid Adelaide strip completed half-century in quick time to keep the Australian scoreboard ticking.
Ponting took only 69 deliveries to raise his bat for 61st Test fifty.
Earlier, R Ashwin took two early wickets to keep the Australian batsmen in check as India restricted them to 98/3 at lunch.
First session
Ricky Ponting(43*) and captain Michael Clarke(9*) were on the crease as a clever captaincy from Virender Sehwag saw India dominating the first session of Adelaide Test on day 1.
From the first two overs of the day, the self anointed 'odd couple' of Ed Cowan and David Warner picked 16 runs and seemed to justify their captain’s decision to bat first.
However, Virender Sehwag had different plans as he introduced R Ashwin early into the attack and the spinner stifled Australian batsmen for runs as his first two overs went for naught.
For David Warner this was an unusual situation as his natural leaning was towards scoring runs quickly.
India’s most experienced bowler on the tour, Zaheer Khan, made use of the opportunity to trap the left hander plumb in front of the wickets to pick his first scalp of the day leaving Australia 26/1.
Ashwin sent Shaun Marsh packing in quick succession after castling him to add another chapter in the southpaw’s wretched Test series.
Marsh was late in realizing that he was bowled and looked disappointed at having missed an opportunity to gain some form on a batting friendly pitch.
However, Ed Cowan continued the job of a grafter pretty well from the other end and when Ricky Ponting joined him in the middle after Marsh’s dismissal, took Australian total past 50 runs in 17.4 overs.
He, however, was dismissed just before the lunch break courtesy an intelligent bowling from R Ashwin. The right arm spinner kept tossing up to the left hander and eventually lured him into driving forward towards the cover region where VVS Laxman snapped a brilliant catch to end his innings at 30 (63, 3X4)
Ricky Ponting, on the other hand, has looked in a fine nick on a ground where he has an excellent record against India (one double century and a ton).
He glanced, pulled and swept in his innings of 43* runs to stay positive when the opposition bowlers were in constant search to make some early inroads in the Australian innings.
Earlier, Australia won the toss and elected to bat first on a batting friendly Adelaide track.
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