Australia vs India 3rd Test: Honours shared as Aus make 259-5 on Day 1

Steven Smith remained unbeaten on 72 while Brad Haddin hung around on 23 as Australia made 259 for six in 90 overs on the first day of the third Test in Melbourne.

Winning toss and choosing to bat, Australia lost David Warner for a naught.

Chris Rogers (57) and Shane Watson (52) put the hosts on track with fine half centuries.

Shaun Marsh's 32 further consolidated the score.

For India, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami picked two wickets each.

Joe Burns c Dhoni b Yadav 13 (34m 27b 2x4 0x6)

Steven Smith scores half century as Australia reach 216 for four in 70.3 overs. His innings came of 96 balls including four boundaries and a six.

Shami removes Marsh as India celebrate. It was getting frustrating for India with no wickets for some time now. Aus 184-4 in 61 overs.

Shaun Marsh c Dhoni b Mohammed Shami 32 (86m 83b 4x4 0x6) 

Australia showed another good recover as Marsh and Smith put on a half century partnership. At Tea, Aus 174-3 in 59 overs.

Australia reach 152 for three in 52 overs.

Rogers departs after a fine knock to give Shami his first wicket. India badly needed this wicket. Aus 115-2 in 37 overs

Chris Rogers c Dhoni b Mohammed Shami 57 (155m 126b 5x4 0x6)

India celebrate as they pick up another wicket quickly. Watson was looking in a superb form scoring a half century. AUS 115-3 in 38 overs.

Shane Watson lbw b Ashwin 52 (159m 89b 4x4 0x6)

Australia are 92 for 1 in 28 overs. The first session clearly belonged to the hosts despite losing an early wicket of David Warner for a naught.

Chris Rogers is batting on 46 while Shane Watson is giving him company on 41.

Lunch

That could have been another one for India who are desperate for a wicket here, but with Dhawan failing to latch on to the catch at the slips after some juggling, Watson stays on. Aus 85-1 in 25 overs.

Spinner introduced as Ashwin bowls a tight line giving away only a single run in his first over. Nothing much happening for the bowlers after the early wicket. Aus 74-1 in 20 overs.

Both Rogers and Watson look to have settled down comfortably. Some great shots unleased from both of them as Rogers races to 35 while Watson is batting on 25. Aus 61-1 in 15 overs.

A few boundaries come in quick succession after a quiet start. Rogers gets three of them as he reaches 22. Aus 39-1 in 10 overs.

After the early loss, it's been a cautious start from the Australian batsmen. Great bowling effort from Ishant and Yadav who have successfully managed to keep the pressure going. Aus 8-1 in 5 overs.

India begin with a bang as Umesh Yadav picks up the important wicket of Warner even before Australia open their account. Aus 0-1 in 2 overs.

David Warner c Dhawan b Yadav 0 (7m 6b 0x4 0x6)

Australia have turned lucky with the coin and they choose to bat first. K L Rahul and Shami are in for India replacing Varun Aaron and Rohit Sharma.

Playing XI:

Australia: David Warner, Chris Rogers, Shane Watson, Steven Smith, Shaun Marsh, Joe Burns, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon.

India: Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Lokesh Rahul, MS Dhoni, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav

Preview

Captain M.S. Dhoni said Thursday sledging had nothing to do with India's losing performance in the series against Australia and he encouraged more of it in this week's third Test in Melbourne.

Dhoni said he saw nothing wrong with sledging despite India coming off second best in their efforts to distract Mitchell Johnson during last week's second Test in Brisbane.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma fired up Johnson in Brisbane with the explosive paceman slugging 88 off 93 balls with 13 fours and one six, and shared in a ground record 148 runs with Steve Smith for the seventh wicket to turn around Australia's first innings.

Johnson followed up his game-changing knock with a dynamic spell of fast bowling capturing three for 10 in the space of 11 balls to rip the heart out of India's top order in the second innings to set Australia up for victory and a 2-0 lead in the series.

India must win Friday's third Test in Melbourne to keep alive the four-match series to the final Test in Sydney in the New Year.

Former captain Sunil Gavaskar said the tourists should tone down their "verbal spats" in the series, but Dhoni confirmed that won't be happening.

"I feel a bit of chirping is good on the field," Dhoni told reporters.

"That's what makes cricket interesting... if the guidelines are followed, I'm not really bothered.

"The chirping has nothing to do with our performance."

Aggressive Australia opening batsman David Warner has already said that he won't be toning down his "banter" in the Boxing Day Test.

"I like to go at them, to try and get them to bite back at me when I go out there and bat. At the moment, it's working," Warner said.

Warner swapped barbs with India en route to a century in Adelaide after being bowled off a no-ball and was fined by the ICC along with India duo Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli for bust-ups during the stormy first Adelaide Test.

"Blokes like Davey like to say a fair bit. Everyone's different. I don't really say too much," skipper Steve Smith said Thursday.

"At the moment the Indians are doing that themselves.

"They're doing a lot of whingeing and complaining among themselves.

"They're doing it all for us. Hopefully that can hinder them this week."

Dhoni also dismissed reports that Kohli and Dhawan had to be separated by team director Ravi Shastri during the Gabba Test.

Dhawan retired hurt after being struck on the arm while batting in the nets prior to day four in Brisbane.

Kohli was also struck by a short ball, but batted in place of Dhawan.

Kohli lasted 11 balls, with an Indian newspaper reporting he blamed Dhawan for the dismissal and accused his teammate of feigning injury in a heated confrontation.

"If somebody from the team has actually told you this, it'd be interesting if you could give us the name," Dhoni told reporters.

"Because his imagination is really brilliant and he should be working for one of the movie companies.

"He doesn't deserve to be in our dressing room, because he has entirely created something that has not been there at all.

"As far as the reality is concerned, there's been nothing like that."

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