Test set up for Smith to answer critics as Aussie openers look to ...

Travis Head bludgeoned boundaries and Steve Smith served a timely reminder of his champion qualities as Australia enjoyed its best day with the bat in 18 months in Brisbane on Sunday.

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While the contrasting manner with which Australia’s middle-order stars compiled their centuries was stark, their deeds could prove decisive in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The duo compiled a 241-partnership to steer Australia from a challenging position to one of strength at stumps on the second day, with the hosts 7-405.

Wicketkeeper Alex Carey is unbeaten on 45 from 47 deliveries, while Mitchell Starc is not out on 7.

But Australia’s ascendancy is due to Smith and Head, who secured their second double-century stand following their match-winning deeds in the World Test Championship decider against India at The Oval in 2022.

That helped Australia score more than 400 in an innings for the first time since the opening Test of the summer against Pakistan in Perth last December.

Standing as a beacon of hope for India is champion bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who secured his 12th five-wicket haul in Test cricket with another remarkable performance with the ball.

While more rain is expected in Brisbane on Day 3, the pace of play on Sunday and also through the series suggests a result is possible in Queensland regardless of interruptions.

On an intriguing day at the Gabba, it was the champions from both nations who stood far above their teammates in what shapes as a potentially pivotal Test in the prized series.

After torrential rain caused an effective washout on the opening day of the Third Test, the sight of the sun shining prior to play was a sight to savour for those hoping for some cricket.

It became a day to savour at the Gabba given the punches and counterpunches, the return to form of the champion Smith and the dazzling deeds of the series’ stars Head and Bumrah.

The brilliant Bumrah held sway early when beguiling Australia’s openers Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney, toying with both for a period before ending their torture.

When Marnus Labuschagne lost his wicket to a loose drive, the hosts were in trouble at 3-75 and it looked as though Indian skipper Rohit Sharma’s contentious decision to bowl after winning the toss could yet prove to be the correct one.

MATCH CENTRE: Latest scores, updates from Australia vs India 3rd Test

But Head, who followed his match-winning performance in Adelaide with an even sweeter innings at the Gabba, and Smith wrested the momentum back for Australia after lunch.

The South Australian, who scored 152 from 160 balls before becoming Bumrah’s fifth victim, was imperious, batting with a verve that made what others had found difficult look easy.

Head treated the rare occasion he was beaten by the ball with the disdain with which one might swoosh away a fly.

As a case in point, after Ravindra Jadeja snuck one by him in the second session, Head spanked the next delivery back over mid-off for four, just a metre or so shy of a six.

As an omen for Australia, in the previous eight Tests where Head has scored a century, his nation has gone on to win the match. A triumph here would prove a sweet Christmas gift.

At the other end Smith scratched and scrambled and wrestled for touch and timing for most of the morning. He resembled a crab at times when skipping sideways to face.

Smith was fortunate against Bumrah immediately after lunch when getting an inside-edge which eluded wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, who was moving in the opposite direction.

Another battle came when he was pitted against Akash Deep, who was desperately unlucky not to snare the champion. Time and again he beat the bat of the No.4. But Smith survived.

He was scarcely pure when scratching his way to 50, but it appeared a weight had been lifted from his shoulders after he passed that milestone.

The 35-year-old never scored with the free-flowing frequency of his partner, but some of his drives in the second half of his innings were sublime and a reminder of why he is a great.

It was a determined knock rather than a dashing one, but after scoring his 33rd Test century, Smith gave a prolonged glance towards the Australian dressing room before celebrating.

He moved into outright second place in terms of Australian centurions, breaking his tie with Steve Waugh but still eight hundreds shy of Ricky Ponting’s tally of 41.

Once Bumrah received the new ball, he became an a handful again and secured the wickets of Smith for 101, Marsh for five and Head for 152 to take his second five-wicket haul this summer.

The brilliance of Bumrah lessened the damage for India but also served as a reminder to what could prove a fatal flaw as India seeks to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

After their 10-wicket loss in Adelaide, Sharma said it was important for the rest of the Indian attack to step up and support the superstar.

Former Indian coach and Fox Cricket analyst Ravi Shastri said the contrast in impact between the tourist’s attack was glaring.

“The difference between he and the other Indian bowlers is like chalk and cheese when you look at their success and their strike rates,” he said.

All-rounder Kumar Nitish Reddy, who has been excellent with the bat, snared the wicket of Labuschagne before taking some punishment.

But while Deep and Mohammed Siraj could argue they were unlucky, particularly against Smith early on, they were unable to strike a blow when it mattered the most.

Sharma, too, was queried for his passive field placements as Head and Smith seized control, with Fox Cricket expert Kerry O’Keeffe feeling he waved the white flag too early.

“I don’t think Rohit Sharma has had his best day as skipper,” he said.

“He will say the pitch was so good that we were just trying to control it with outfielders, but you had to pressure Australia and get them out.”

That Australia would be in such a strong position at stumps appeared unlucky given Bumrah’s ascendance in the infancy of the day in front of a crowd of 34,227 fans.

The 31-year-old probed and prodded with every delivery against the Australian openers.

Khawaja and McSweeney had survived his opening spell for the first time this series on Saturday. But with every ‘oh’ and ‘ah’ from the Indian slips corner, doom seemed closer.

And so it proved for both in a lively opening 30 minutes at the Gabba.

Bumrah secured Khawaja with a ball just good enough to draw an edge from the struggling opener, with Pant securing his 150th Test dismissal with the catch.

Not long after McSweeney, who prior to the Test had spoken of his hope that he was adapting to the challenge of facing the Indian superstar, edged Bumrah to Virat Kohli.

Bumrah has claimed McSweeney’s wicket on all four occasions to date and the Australian’s challenge will be to find a way to avoid the knockout blow to this stint in the Aussie side. In the battle between the rookie Australian opener and a true heavyweight of fast bowling, the statistics make for grim reading, with Bumrah taking 4-12 from 52 balls.

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EARLIER

Australia will resume on day two at 0-28 from 13.2 overs with play set to start on time at 9.50am local time with clear skies above the Gabba on Sunday morning.

India won the toss and sent the Australians in to bat in the third Test with Usman Khawaja (19) and Nathan McSweeney (4) at the crease.

Rain ruined day one of the third Test, but Fox Cricket’s Brendan Julian declared on Test Daily that he thinks play will start on time.

“There’s a little bit of overcast today, and I think there will be a chance of rain somewhere, maybe later this afternoon after that 70mm of rain yesterday,” Julian said.

“But so far so good. Sun’s out. A little bit of breeze out in the middle, went had a look at the pitch and it stills looks like a really good batting day.”

Australia can bat themselves into a commanding position on day two (play begins early at 9:50am local/10:50am AEDT) with Steve Smith looming large.

India may rue their decision to bowl first, but can still get themselves back into the test with quick inroads on day two.

“I looked at that pitch yesterday, and thought it’s not as green as everyone thinks it’s going to be,” Julian said.

“The preparation was still pretty good. It might have been a little slow, the pitch, but I think it was pretty good to bat first on that kind of pitch.

“Having said that, I don’t think the Indian bowlers bowled that well. Bumrah beat the bat a couple of times, they didn’t bowl enough on the stumps, they bowled the wrong length. They should have been pitching the ball up.

“I know it was only 13 overs, but they would have expected to get two wickets. No doubt about that.

“Rohit Sharma, after the first rain delay, stood on the side of the boundary with Morne Morkel, the bowling coach, and he just seemed to be saying ‘what’s going on? I’ve won the toss. I’ve bowled and I’ve got no wickets. Why?’.

“They didn’t enough in the right areas and they are under pressure this morning. They will need a couple of early wickets if they want to stay in this game.”

Khawaja looked the best of the Australian openers on day two, blasting three fours as he aims to get himself out of his own form slump.

In just his third Test McSweeney was more reserved, but will be pushing for his maiden half century when play resumes on day two.

Akash Deep was the pick of the Indian bowlers on day one with figures of 0-2 from his 3.2 overs before rain stopped play for the second and final time.

Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj will be looking to recapture their form from Perth to get India back into the lead in the evenly poised series.

It sets the scene for a mouth-watering second day of action in Brisbane, with everyone praying the weather gods are kind.

Australian XI: Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

India XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj