Smith scores fifty to keep Test in balance

BRISBANE: Steve Smith again proved the elusive wicket for India as the new captain led an Australian fightback on day two of the second Test on Thursday.

Smith, who was not dismissed by India in last week´s Adelaide Test win with scores of 162 and 52, continued to be the bane of the tourists with another defiant knock.

His intuitive stroke-making was again a delight and he danced down the wicket to club spinner Ravichandran Ashwin for two sixes over long-on in one over.

At the close, with a storm brewing, Australia were 221 for four in reply to India´s 408 with Smith unbeaten on 65 and Mitchell Marsh on seven.

The Australians lost the wickets of David Warner (29), Shane Watson (25), Chris Rogers (55) and Shaun Marsh (32) in the final two sessions.

Shaun Marsh, recalled as a replacement for injured skipper Michael Clarke, had registered six ducks in his previous 15 Test innings but Thursday looked to have overcome his series of poor starts.

He had a big let-off on 32 when Ajinkya Rahane put down a sitter at leg gully off Varun Aaron in the 45th over.

But he was out two overs later, caught by Ashwin in the slips off Umesh Yadav on the same score.

Rogers missed a chance to post a much-needed big innings when he was out in the over before tea.

He raised his sixth Test half-century with a cut for four off Ashwin as he looked for runs in Brisbane after recent batting failures.

But the 37-year-old left-hander dabbled at Yadav and gave a leg-side catch to keeper M.S. Dhoni.

It was a good middle session for India, who removed the dangerous Warner in the ninth over.

Warner, who scored twin centuries in the Adelaide series opener, attempted to pull Yadav only for the ball to come off the top of his bat and pop up for Ashwin to take a comfortable catch running back from slip.

Watson looked at ease before losing concentration on 25 and finding Shikhar Dhawan in the deep, giving off-spinner Ashwin his first wicket.

Earlier India were dismissed for 408 after resuming on 311/4. Rahane (81) Dhoni (33) and Ashwin (35) were the only notable scores after a hundred by Murli Vijay the previous day.

JR Hazelwood finished with magnificent figures of 5/68 on debut. Off spinner Lyon took 3/105.