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Australia build commanding lead on day two

Australia build commanding lead on day two
© PA Photos
Australia close in on a series victory on day two of the third Test in Perth.

Australia have moved one step closer to winning the series against India after a dominant performance on day two of the third Test in Perth.

The Aussie openers continued where they had left off when play began, with David Warner wasting no time in adding to the joint-fourth quickest Test century ever.

He and Ed Cowan reached 214 without loss before India finally struck through Umesh Yadav, who removed Cowan for 74.

Yadav then claimed the scalps of Shaun Marsh (11) and Ricky Ponting (7) before catching Warner off the bowling of Ishant Sharma. The stadium rose to applaud Warner's knock of 180 off just 159 balls.

This dismissal prompted a collapse for the hosts, however, as Michael Clarke (18) and Brad Haddin (0) fell to Zaheer Kahn while Michael Hussey was dismissed for just 14.

Yadav then completed his maiden five-wicket haul by claiming the wickets of Peter Siddle and Ryan Harris before Virender Sehwag ended the host's innings by dismissing Ben Hilfenhaus.

Any momentum this collapse may have given India was quickly shut down, however.

Openers Gautam Gambhir and Sehwag amassed just 24 runs between them, while VVS Laxman was dismissed for a duck and Sachin Tendulkar was made to wait even longer for his hundredth hundred, being caught leg before wicket for just eight by Mitchell Starc.

The tourists ended the day on 88-4, still 120 runs behind forcing Australia to bat again.

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