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'Garam' Dhawan decimates Australia in Mohali

India Opener Shikhar Dhawan launched an exceptional onslaught on the Australian bowlers during India's first innings, slamming the fastest century by a debutant after the tourists were bowled out for 408.

Dhawan raced to 106 between lunch and tea and left Michael Clarke and Australia's bowlers scratching their heads in exasperation. He was on 185 not out at close of play on Day 3.

Dhawan's innings was beautiful to the eye, rarely a mistake made. There was one half-chance, when he slashed Siddle uppishly through gully and Phillip Hughes just got a finger on it, but otherwise it was a chanceless innings full of textbook drives and cuts.

'Garam' Dhawan decimates Australia in Mohali

In reaching three figures from just 85 balls, it was also the fastest hundred on debut, and the first for an Indian since Suresh Raina's 120 in Sri Lanka in 2010.

At stumps India were 283-0 from 58 overs. At tea, between the two openers – Dhawan and Murali Vijay -- they struck 25 fours and two sixes, and at the height of the onslaught, 82 runs came from 10 overs.

Vijay was content to play second fiddle, coasting to 83 from 181 balls, which including two huge sixes of Nathan Lyon.