Virat Kohli has brought his reputation as a fighter to bear on the Adelaide Test. 

But just when it seemed India would not wilt, a wicked spell from Mitchell Johnson as shadows crept across the oval kept the first Test in the balance. 

Australian players check on Virat Kohli after he was hit on the helmet by a Mitchell Johnson bouncer. Photo: Getty Images

Kohli, the acting India captain, led India's fightback with a combative 115 but just before stumps he was caught hooking Johnson to fine leg, where Ryan Harris ran forward to take a sprawling catch. 

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Johnson then greeted wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha with a bouncer that reared up into his glove while Saha took his other hand off the bat. He hung in there until stumps despite another couple of short balls whistling past his nose.

At 5-369, India trail by 148 and do not have their usual batting depth without MS Dhoni, who is recovering from injury, and Ravi Ashwin, who was left out of the team.

Mitchell Johnson is congratulated after taking the wicket of Murali Vijay. Photo: Getty Images

Rohit Sharma is the last specialist batsman, unbeaten on 33.

"It was a great breakthrough," Australian spinner Nathan Lyon said of Kohli's wicket. "It's probably put today in the balance. If Virat doesn't play that shot and they're still four down it probably leans towards them. But they're five down now and it's in the balance, and we're looking forward to coming out tomorrow."

After clipping a boundary through the on side to bring up his second consecutive century in Australia, Kohli shouted something at the Indian dressing room that might have been interpreted as a rallying call. 

The Aussies celebrate the wicket of Shikhar Dhawan. Photo: Getty Images

He needs to bring his teammates with him to stop Australia from converting their imposing first innings total of 7(dec)-517 into a 1-nil series lead.  

Johnson's heated spells before lunch and before stumps reminded the Indians of his destructive powers, but Lyon's off spin provided the most consistent threat. He gained sharp turn and bounce and the occasional ball, like the one that did for Ajinkya Rahane, spat up out of the rough. 

Ryan Harris produced some dangerous swing in his first Test since knee surgery, but Peter Siddle had to leave the field twice because he was feeling ill. 

Kohli consigned his poor series in England, in which he averaged 13.5, to history, unfurling some beautiful cover drives off the bowling of Johnson. 

But of the four Indian batsmen to pass 50 Kohli was the only one to kick on to three figures. 

Opener Murali Vijay made a cavalier start, and hit Lyon for a couple of straight sixes, but was softened up by Johnson with a couple of bouncers and then caught behind on 53 before lunch. Both Johnson and Lyon touched the 408 embroidered on their playing shirts for Phillip Hughes when they celebrated a wicket. 

Cheteshwar Pujara is known to Australian audiences because of his majestic innings against them in India in 2010 and 2013.

But he journeyed to Australia with a question mark over his overseas performances, with an average of 75 at home and 30 away. Still, he looked perfectly at home in Adelaide until a ball from Lyon dribbled off his bat, between his legs and onto his stumps on 73, his second-highest overseas score.

"What we discussed yesterday was to fight back," Pujara said. 

"The target was to score the amount of runs they scored. It was about proving ourselves that we could achieve this. We are in a good position to achieve this target. 

"I feel disappointed that I couldn't capitalise and score a big one," Pujara added about his hapless dismissal. "I was a little unlucky. I didn't know at first where the ball was. When I saw the replay I thought I might have stopped the ball but it went so fast I didn't have time to stop it going into the stumps."

Rahane, who survived a few scares, got through a barrage of short-pitched bowling from Siddle before Lyon got a ball to balloon off his glove to Shane Watson at first slip for 62.   

Clarke declared the Australian innings on their overnight score and Harris took the first wicket when he swung a ball back into the stumps of the dangerous Shikhar Dhawan   

Dhawan's first Test innings in Australia was entertaining but short. He carved 14 from one Johnson over including an exquisite straight drive for four.

The left-armer was unlucky not to have Dhawan caught behind on one in the third over of the match, when a diving Brad Haddin could not quite get his glove underneath an inside edge.

Clarke took the field at mid-on instead of the slips and, as one would expect after an innings of 128 with a crook back, bending down was a struggle. But he threw himself around like a teenager to save runs during the morning session. 

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