Australia captain Smith defies India with third unbeaten knock

Steve Smith again proved the elusive wicket for India as the new captain led an Australian fightback on day two of the second Test on Thursday.

Smith, who was not dismissed by India in last week's Adelaide Test win with scores of 162 and 52, continued to be the bane of the tourists with another defiant knock.

His intuitive stroke-making was again a delight and he danced down the wicket to club spinner Ravichandran Ashwin for two sixes over long-on in one over.

At the close, with a storm brewing, Australia were 221 for four in reply to India's 408 with Smith unbeaten on 65 and Mitchell Marsh on seven.

The Australians lost the wickets of David Warner (29), Shane Watson (25), Chris Rogers (55) and Shaun Marsh (32) in the final two sessions. 

Shaun Marsh, recalled as a replacement for injured skipper Michael Clarke, had registered six ducks in his previous 15 Test innings but Thursday looked to have overcome his series of poor starts.

He had a big let-off on 32 when Ajinkya Rahane put down a sitter at leg gully off Varun Aaron in the 45th over.

But he was out two overs later, caught by Ashwin in the slips off Umesh Yadav on the same score.

Rogers missed a chance to post a much-needed big innings when he was out in the over before tea.

He raised his sixth Test half-century with a cut for four off Ashwin as he looked for runs in Brisbane after recent batting failures.

But the 37-year-old left-hander dabbled at Yadav and gave a leg-side catch to keeper M.S. Dhoni.

It was a good middle session for India, who removed the dangerous Warner in the ninth over.

Warner, who scored twin centuries in the Adelaide series opener, attempted to pull Yadav only for the ball to come off the top of his bat and pop up for Ashwin to take a comfortable catch running back from slip.

Watson looked at ease before losing concentration on 25 and finding Shikhar Dhawan in the deep, giving off-spinner Ashwin his first wicket.

Debutant Josh Hazlewood captured five wickets and Brad Haddin equalled a wicketkeeping record as Australia dismissed India for 408 at lunch.

Paceman Hazlewood led the way with three scalps on the second morning as the Australians bounced back after Wednesday's horror day in the field in sweltering conditions.

Haddin equalled the Australian record of six dismissals in an innings held by Wally Grout, Ian Healy and Rod Marsh with two more catches on the second morning.

The Australians began the day well with two wickets in the opening 40 minutes before Dhoni and Ashwin regained the initiative with a belligerent seventh-wicket stand.

The pair put on 57 in equal time before Ashwin became Hazlewood's fourth wicket, playing away from his body and edging chest-high to Shane Watson at slip for 35.

Dhoni cracked 33 off 53 balls with four fours before he fell to the Hazlewood-Haddin combination.

Hazlewood was far and away Australia's best bowler with five for 68, while left-armer Mitchell Starc continued to struggle with his line and length and was punished, going wicketless for 83 runs.

Hazlewood struck early enticing an edge off Rahane with a late outswinger to give Haddin his fifth catch of the innings.

Rahane hit 81 off 132 balls with nine fours and put on 60 for the fifth wicket with Rohit Sharma.

Smith pulled off a magnificent sprawling catch at second slip to dismiss Sharma for 32 off Watson in the 92nd over.
Starc, whose body language was labelled 'soft' by Test great Shane Warne during his TV commentary on Wednesday, again proved ineffective.

Tea

Australia stumbled into the tea break on 121 for three on the second day of the second Test in Brisbane on Thursday after paceman Josh Hazlewood had taken five for 68 on debut to help dismiss India for 408.

Opener Chris Rogers had just reached his sixth Test half century and looked like ushering Australia to the break in reasonable shape when he gloved an Umesh Yadav ball to wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni for 55.

David Warner was the first Australian batsman to fall, getting a top edge to a freakish Yadav delivery on 29, and Shane Watson followed for 25 when Shikhar Dhawan took a brilliant catch at midwicket off Ravi Ashwin.
 
Steve Smith, who was unbeaten on six and had been enjoying a far better second day as stand-in captain for the injured Michael Clarke, will resume after tea with Shaun Marsh.

Lunch

Paceman Josh Hazlewood took five for 68 on debut as Australia hit back on the second day of the second Test in Brisbane on Thursday to dismiss India for 408 and bring up lunch.

The hosts, 1-0 up in the series, needed a good start after India had stormed to 311 for four on the back of Murali Vijay's brilliant 144 and Australia's bowlers wilted in the sweltering heat on day one.

Hazlewood, crippled by cramps and forced off the field in mid-over late on Wednesday, provided the spark by dismissing Ajinkya Rahane for 81 in the third over before removing all rounder Ravi Ashwin and India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
 
His double strike late in the opening session triggered an Indian collapse and the tourists lost their last four wickets for the addition of just 23 runs.

Hazlewood looked every inch the Test quick and his first wicket of the day came from a delivery that any of his fast bowling forebears in the baggy green would have been proud of.

Rahane, who had put on 60 runs for the fifth wicket with Rohit Sharma, got an outside edge as a good length ball moved away from him late and Brad Haddin took the catch behind the wickets.

Shane Watson and Steve Smith combined to send Sharma on his way for 32 inside the first hour of play, the stand-in skipper diving low to his right at second slip to take a stunning catch.

It was a welcome boost for Smith, who had endured a torrid first day as his country's 45th Test captain in place of the injured Michael Clarke.

Dhoni, who missed the first Test defeat in Adelaide because of an injured thumb, and Ashwin regrouped to put on 57 for the seventh wicket before Hazlewood struck again.

Ashwin (35) got an edge to another fine delivery with Watson taking the catch at first slip and in Hazlewood's next over Dhoni (33) was walking back to the pavilion and Haddin celebrating his sixth catch of the innings.

Off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who bowled Australia to their 48-run victory in Adelaide last weekend, removed Indian tailenders Varun Aaron (4) and Umesh Yadav (9) to finish with three for 105.

Australian all rounder Mitchell Marsh failed to take the field after suffering a hamstring injury on day one but is expected to bat.

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