James Pattinson again led a strong performance from Australia’s fast bowlers as they kept India to 191 in the first innings at the SCG. Pattinson collected four wickets and Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle each took three on a day when India’s captain MS Dhoni chose to bat and was the only man to score a half-century.

Siddle finished the innings by having Umesh Yadav caught behind for a duck off a good full outswinger after India added 13 - all scored by Dhoni - following tea. The last three tailenders all made ducks and while Ishant Sharma survived a hat-trick delivery first ball from Hilfenhaus after tea, he didn’t last much longer, fending a bouncer to Ed Cowan at short leg.

It was the same method Hilfenhaus had used to get rid of Zaheer Khan, a well-directed short ball lobbing off the gloves to the man in close. That dismissal came off what turned out to be the last ball before the break, Zaheer’s golden duck having followed the removal of R Ashwin, who edged to first slip for 20 when he tried to turn Hilfenhaus to leg.

Ashwin and Dhoni had steadied the innings with a 54-run stand and while Dhoni tried to lift the run-rate after tea, bringing up his half-century from his 67th ball, he ran out of partners and finished unbeaten on 57. It was a disappointing result for Dhoni, who at the toss conceded that there could be some movement early on a pitch with some grass on it, but could not have expected a sub-200 total.

India’s problems began with the third ball of the match when Pattinson pitched a delivery on leg and nipped it away from Gautam Gambhir, who edged to first slip for a duck to continue his slump. It was an eventful first over from Pattinson, also featuring two wides as he adjusted his radar in his maiden first-class appearance at the SCG.

It was tough going early for India’s batsmen and Rahul Dravid departed for 5 from 33 deliveries when he inside-edged onto his leg off Siddle and was taken by Cowan at short leg. That brought Sachin Tendulkar to the crease to a standing ovation, as is the case in every innings he plays these days, and he played some wonderful cover drives as Siddle bowled full, seeking an edge.