Melbourne, Dec 27: Skipper Steven Smith slammed his highest score of 190, as Australia were all out for 530 just before tea on day two of the third Test against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday.
Smith scored his seventh Test century, his third successive hundred in the series, and in the company of wicketkeeper Brad Haddin (55) Mitchell Johnson ( 28) and Ryan Harris ( 74) took the match away from the Indian bowlers
Smith was the last man out, bowled by Umesh Yadav when he shuffled too far across off while trying to scoop the ball over the wicketkeeper, as Australia went for quick runs after crossing 500.
For India Mohammed Shami took four wickets , while Ravichandran Ashwin and Yadav finished with three apiece
Resuming the day at 259 for five, overnight unbeaten batsmen Smith and Haddin began confidently with the keeper-batsman being more aggressive of the two. India peppered him with a lot of short balls, hoping to shake him up and exposing his perceived weakness to bouncers.
But Haddin was equal to the task and was willing to take on what was offered him, pulling and hooking merrily to score runs at a fast clip, reaching his half-century of 75 balls.
Smith on the other hand began more sedately. He took his time to get going but smoothly reached his third hundred of the series, flicking a fuller length ball fine to the leg side.
His hundred came off 191 balls with nine fours and a six, making him the first Australian captain to score centuries in each of his first two Tests as skipper and fourth overall after South Africa's Jackie McGlew, India Vijay Hazare and England's Alastair Cook.
The signs were ominous for India as their bowlers failed to learn from their mistakes and continued bowling short, making it easier for Smith and Haddin to score freely.
The duo soon put up their 100-run partnership and was looking good for more. But Haddin wss dismissed completely against the run of play when he hesitated to play or leave a Mohammed Shami delivery, succeeding only to edge it to wicket keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. It was Shami's third wicket of the innings.
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