Stumps, day two, Australia 7/517

Michael Clarke and Steve Smith, captain courageous and his heir apparent, have found a way through the myriad challenges of the past fortnight to flatten India on the second day of the Border-Gavaskar series. 

Smith's unbeaten 162 might be overshadowed by Clarke's effort to overcome physical and emotional adversity to score a century, but it won't be forgotten.

Steve Smith salutes Phillip Hughes after making his century. Photo: Getty Images

Not by any of the 15,397 people at Adelaide Oval who sat through a rain delay with Smith on 98, then watched him raise his 5th Test century and wander over to the 408 painted in white on the outfield for Phillip Hughes before lifting his bat.

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"I had that long break on 98 and I thought if I got the two more runs it would be nice to go over there to the 408 and stick my bat in the air, and say thanks to 'Hughesy' for being with me all the way," Smith said. 

Nor will his fierce strokeplay be forgotten by India's paciest bowler, Varun Aaron, who had get out of the way to avoid being hit when Smith opened his shoulders after reaching his hundred. Smith cracked a fierce straight drive for four, then stepped away and clobbered two more through mid-wicket.

Injured captain Michael Clarke bats on day two. Photo: Getty Images

He and Clarke picked up the pace to push past 500.

 "It's always nice when you're batting after scoring a 100. It's probably the best time to bat," Smith said. "When the captain gives you a licence to try and get a few runs, you can start to invent a few shots."

On a day interrupted by three rain delays and eventually stopped for bad light, Australia finished on 7-517 and India finished in disarray. Clarke made 128, his first hundred since his 161 not out in Cape Town in March.

The captain knows a bit about playing in pain. In Cape Town he was pummelled by Morne Morkel and wound up with a fractured shoulder, but this was on a different scale.

The emotional effort of the past fortnight, the physical effort to be passed fit to play in the first Test since Hughes' death, and the effort to resume his innings with a crook back, has been a draining experience.

He resumed after the second rain break, also on 98, and weathered some short-pitched bowling from around the wicket from Aaron. When he joined Smith and David Warner in notching three figures, he could barely find the energy to celebrate, simply removing his helmet and kissing it. 

Late in the day, Ishant Sharma sprayed five wides down the leg side. Photo: Getty Images

He would have derived as much pleasure from watching the latest episode in the blossoming of Smith's career. This was the 25-year-old's highest Test score, and a continuation of his briliant form in both the long and short formats, both overseas and at home, in contrasting situations.

In recent months he has made 97 in an unsuccessful effort to save a Test in Abu Dhabi and 104 to conjure an improbable ODI victory in Melbourne.

Here in Adelaide, the 25-year-old held the Australian innings together with composure when Clarke's injury and a bundle of wickets with the second new ball on the first evening threatened to give India the advantage.

Steve Smith was 98 not out when lunch was called early. Photo: Getty Images

"At the start of my career I probably wasn't quite as patient as I am now. I tried to play too many shots  early on and that got me in trouble. The way I want to go about my business is to get my patience right. I know if I do that then I'll be able to make big runs," Smith said.

India's fielding and bowling unravelled late in the day. 

Smith was spared on 131, when wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha, standing in for MS Dhoni, missed an easy stumping off leg spinner Karn Sharma.

And Ishant Sharma dropped a difficult chance lunging forward from fine leg just before stumps.

Ishant also sprayed five wides down the leg side. When Clarke was finally caught sweeping the Karn to square leg, the home side was firmly in control of the match. 

The touring side might have been surprised to see Clarke emerge in his whites, with bat in hand, on the second morning, but they should not have been complacent at the sight of the 108-Test veteran hobbling between the wickets. His courage and Smith's class presenting Virat Kohli with an enormous challenge to bat India back into the first Test.  

"To have 517 on the  board is a very good total," Smith said. "All our bowlers know what to do, so expect some good fireworks."