Warner, bowlers hand Australia the edge in Perth

Image: David Warner (L) and Ed Cowan of Australia reache a 200 run partnership during day two of the Third Test match between Australia and India at WACA
Photographs: Getty Images

A terrific opening partnership of 214 runs between David Warner and Ed Cowan helped Australia take a formidable 208-rin lead in the first innings on Day Two of the third Test against India at the WACA, Perth.The home team was eventually bowled out for 369, in response to the visitor's first innings score of 161. A great efforts by the Australian pace quartet, coupled with another Indian batting capitulation, meant the latter ended the day on 88 for four, needing a further 121 runs to make the hosts bat again.At stumps, Rahul Dravid was unbeaten on 32 and giving him company was Virat Kohli on 21. Mitchell Starc was the most impressive Aussie bowler with figures of two for 14.A thunderous pull by Cowan off Yadav raised the 200-run opening stand, the first in three years by an Australian opening pair.Simon Katich and Phil Jacques put on a 223-run partnership against West Indies in Kensington Oval (Barbados) back in June 2008.

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Warner was let off by Kohli on 126

Image: MS Dhoni (top) of India looks down at team mate Virat Kohli after Kohli dropped a catch from David Warner of Australia during day two of the Third Test
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Warner, though, had a piece of fortune as Virat Kohli dropped a regulation catch at first slip off Zaheer Khan when the left-hander was at his personal score of 126. Kohli, involved in a war of words with the Australian opener a day before, one that had inspired the latter, apologised for his behaviour in a different way.

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Cowan scored a Test best 74

Image: Ed Cowan of Australia is bowled by Umesh Yadav of India during day two of the Third Test match between Australia and India at WACA
Photographs: Getty Images

Cowan, unbeaten on 40 at the end of Day One's play, began dangerously when he hit Zaheer dangerously between the slip cordon for four and then on-drove Ishant Sharma ever so sweetly to widish long on fence. He reached his second Test fifty soon after. The 29-year-old's 74 was also his highest Test score, bettering his 68 on debut in the first Test at Melbourne last month.However, the left-handed opener soon became Yadav's victim when he completely missed a delivery from the pacer that snaked past his defensive prod and hit the middle stump.

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Warner scored a blitzkrieg 180

Image: David Warner of Australia hits a six during day two of the Third Test match between Australia and India at WACA on January 14, 2012 in Perth
Photographs: Getty Images

Warner, at the other end, continued to treat the Indian bowlers with utter disdain. He hit 20 fours and as many as five sixes in his 180, a knock that came off just 159 balls. Warner, overnight 104, in the process bettered his previous Test best - an unbeaten 123 against New Zealand in Hobart late last year. His individual innings, his second Test ton, was 19 more than the Indian team totaled in their opening essay.

Tags: Warner , New Zealand , Hobart

Marsh's poor run of form continued

Image: Shaun Marsh of Australia edges to be caught by VVS Laxman (R) of India from the bowling of Umesh Yadav of India during day two of the Third Test
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Shaun Marsh, after scores of 3, 0 and 0 from three previous innings, became Yadav's second scalp when he edged one to third slip, where VVS Laxman accepted a smart catch diving to his left. Marsh, supported by batting coach Justin Langer despite his poor run of form, began elegantly enough by a couple of smooth on-drives against Yadav but he was nearly bowled when the latter got a ball go under his bat which somehow missed the leg stump. The 28-year-old's luck did not last long as he edged a delivery in the same over to a diving Laxman at the third slip.

Tags: Shaun Marsh , Justin Langer , VVS

Yadav's fiver led the Indian renaissance

Image: Umesh Yadav of India celebrates after taking the wicket of Shaun Marsh of Australia during day two of the Third Test match between Australia and India at WACA
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Umesh Yadav scalped three wickets against the run of play to lift the sagging morale of the Indians.Yadav (3-80) claimed the wickets of Ed Cowan (74), Shaun Marsh (11) and Ricky Ponting (7) in a span of 28 runs to give the visitors something to cheer about after Australia resumed the day comfortably placed and consolidated their advantage subsequently. Yadav brought smiles on to the visitors' face with his three wicket burst during a fiery spell of 7-0-38-3. He went on to pick up the wickets of Peter Siddle (30) and Ryan Harris (9) in the second session.The 24-year-old bowler finished with career-best figures of five for 93.

Tags: Shaun Marsh , Ryan Harris , Peter Siddle , Ed Cowan , Australia

Ponting suffered his first failure of the series

Image: Ricky Ponting of Australia looks back at his stumps after being bowled by Umesh Yadav (R) of India during day two of the Third Test
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Ricky Ponting was comfortable in his stay of six balls and seven runs before a full length delivery from Yadav breached his defence and hit the stumps.

It was the former captain's first failure with the blade in the series.

The 37-year-old had scored fifties in both the inning at the MCG before making a memorable hundred, his 40th in Tests, in Sydney.

The Australian lost wickets in regular intervals thereafter to be all out for 369, an addition of 220 runs to their overnight score.

Tags: MCG , Sydney

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