Australia vs India 2014/15 - 4th Test, Day 1, Tea: David Warner's 12th Test hundred puts Australia on top

David Warner

Sydney, Jan 6 - Openers Chris Rogers (95) and David Warner (101) gave Australia the perfect start against India in the fourth and final Test by striking a first-wicket partnership of 200 runs as the hosts went into the tea break with the score on 242 for two at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) here Tuesday.

After a brilliant first session of play for Australia, the home side added 119 more runs but lost Warner and Rogers in the 32 overs of the post-lunch session.

Skipper Steven Smith (28 batting) and Shane Watson (10 batting) were at the crease when tea was called.

Smith won the toss and decided to bat, and in came Rogers and Warner who gave the home side a solid, flying start.

The Indian bowlers - Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami and Ravichandran Ashwin - were hammered all over the ground in the 28 overs bowled in the first session.

Having already lost the series 0-2, India went into the final Test making four changes to the squad.

Wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma and Bhuvneshwar came in to replace the retired Mahendra Singh Dhoni, opener Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara and pace bowler Ishant Sharma.

However, the changes bore no fruit as the Australian openers came out to bat with an attacking mindset.

Warner scored his 12th Test century while Rogers struck his fifth consecutive half-century but fell five short of his fifth hundred.

Warner's blazing innings was caressed with 16 boundaries and while trying to accelerate, he edged one, off the bowling of Ashwin, to hand India their first success of the morning.

Rogers followed him back to the pavilion in the next over as he played on a Shami delivery, shattering his stumps.

Earlier in the morning, the only real chance India had was when Rogers edged a seaming Shami delivery into Lokesh Rahul's hands at second slip but the ball popped out. It was the eighth over with the score reading 46 runs and Rogers batting on 19.

There was an emotional moment towards the end of the first session when Warner reached 63 not out, bent down and kissed the turf as a tribute to the late cricketer Phillip Hughes, who was struck on this very ground by a bouncer on November 25 which eventually led to his tragic death two days later.

Hughes was batting on 63 not out during the Sheffield Shield match when the bouncer hit the back of his head.

Australia 1st innings

Chris Rogers b Mohammed Shami 95

David Warner c Vijay b Ashwin 101

Shane Watson batting 10

Steven Smith batting 28

Extras (lb 3, w 5) 8

Total (for two wickets in 60 overs) 242

Fall of wickets: 1-200 (Warner, 44.5 overs), 2-204 (Rogers, 45.5)

Bowling

Bhuvneshwar Kumar 14-1-51-0

Umesh Yadav 12-1-70-0

Mohammed Shami 11-1-49-1

Ravichandran Ashwin 19-4-55-1

Suresh Raina 4-1-14-0

Match details

Toss: Australia chose to bat

Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (Sri Lanka) and Richard Kettleborough (England)

TV umpire: Simon Fry (Australia)

Match referee: Roshan Mahanama (Sri Lanka)

Reserve umpire: Gerard Abood (Australia)