STATE OF PLAY: New skipper Steve Smith called this a good toss to lose, but the early demons he hoped for in the track never eventuated and India would have gone to stumps very satisfied with their day's work. Vijay was magnificent, a chance to slips in the 30s his only blemish, and Rahane looks ready to carve out a lot more runs. Not only that, Australia's attack is thinning by the minute, Mitch Marsh unlikely to bowl again with hamstring trouble, Mitchell Starc going off with heat stress, and impressive new boy Josh Hazlewood sore in a calf and coming off with an over unfinished late in the day. If the bowling side can't reverse things pretty quickly on day two, already this match might be a mission more to save a draw than about pursuing a victory. The Aussies certainly weren't helped by the oppressive heat and humidity, but the attack also looked quite listless, even Johnson struggling for pace and rhythm, Hazlewood clearly the pick of the bunch. With this pair looking very well set and skipper Dhoni still to come, India should be eyeing off a tally of at least 500.

And that's it from Rohan Connolly here at blog central. We'll catch you back here tomorrow morning.

STUMPS: India 4/311 (Rahane 75 no, Sharma 26 no)

And that's it. A Bit more dawdling, this time from the batsmen, ensure that's it for day one. And India should be pretty happy with the state of play. They won the toss, chose to bat, and are reaping the rewards.

This could well be the last over of the day, with Johnson dawdling. Australia is going to finish at least five overs short of their requirement. But Johnson gets through it, pretty uneventful, and maybe we might squeeze another one in.

Hazlewood takes the new cherry from the other end, and straight away looks in trouble, barely follows through, no pace, and now the overworked Australian doctor is coming on. And the debutant is done, going off with only two balls bowled with the new ball. Smith will be desperately hoping that's just cramp and not a calf strain, because the bowling stocks are already wafer thin on day one with Marsh gone. Watson is going to complete the over.

Another superb shot from Rahane, wide outside off from Johnson, and the right-hander drops to his knee and plays a terrific square drive which rockets to the rope. He's up to 73 now, great knock.

Rahane squeezes one into the ground and just over the head of point for another boundary, and that brings up the 300 for India.

The new ball is due and being taken immediately, Johnson back into the attack. Had to happen, India coasting along far too comfortably, can Mitch find somehing special?

Cracking shot from Rahane, as good as we've seen today! Watson is full, and he just leans into the shot, perfect timing, and the ball scoots back past the bowler to the boundary. And the Warner experiment is short-lived, Smith bringing himself on now.

Watson back on and good start, indeed, pretty decent shout for LBW against Rahane, jagged back from outside off stump, was close call. Now here's a turn up. David Warner's going to come on to bowl some medium-pacers. Pretty friendly stuff, you'd have to say, and he goes for nine from the first over.

And new batsman Sharma goes bang! Beautiful lofted on-drive off Lyon for the day's first six, then follows it up with a boundary through mid-wicket. Looks keen to step on the gas with still half-an-hour or so left in the day.

Starc coming on again. Hasn't been a great day from him with 0/54 from 13. Can he turn things around now?

Australian attack has struggled physically today ... which probably made this observation inevitable!

That was a superb hand from the opener, survived a couple of chances, one in his 30s and another just after he'd passed 100, but played some lovely shots and held his concentration in testing conditions. Vijay's 144 took 213 deliveries and contained 22 fours. India must now make sure it doesn't surrender this hard-won advantage in the final hour with its mainstay gone.

WICKET! Vijay is gone, came charging down the pitch to Lyon annd got a fine edge through to Haddin, would have been out stumped easily had the umpire not heard the nick anyway. Needless to say, a crucial breakthrough for the bolwing side.

Lyon to come back into the attack. Australia needs something special now, and no respite in sight. Still 19 overs to be bowled incidentally, and in this heat, no way that's going to be happening. Slow over rates are becoming an issue again.

And there's 50 for Rahane, good supporting hand to Vijay, pulls Watson through mid-wicket for three, brings up the half-century from 85 balls. Good stuff.

This pair really starting to cash in now. Their partnership is worth 113, the 250 comes up, and India has scored 99 from the last 102 balls. Dhoni would have to be looking for a total around the 500 mark, you'd think.

Watson on again for Starc, this is only his fifth over for the day, certainly worth trying him again now, things starting to look pretty desperate for the fielding side.

The boundaries are coming regularly now, Vijay and Rahane just waiting for and picking off the inevitable bad ball. And Lyon bowls a couple in the one over, Rahane puts the first away and Vijay goes over the top, another big four over long off. Sweeps again and there's another four, 13 from the over and Vijay up to 135.

Rahane had his moments early on, but starting to look pretty confident now. Drives Lyon through the covers for another boundary, then takes a single to move into the 30s. India 3/222.