Blunt Indians cut to pieces by Clarke

Clarke and Ponting shared a record 288-run partnership as Australia flayed India’s attack to be 482-4 at stumps on Wednesday for a 291-run first innings lead.

Clarke finished the day unbeaten on 251, his first double century and the highest score by an Australian at the Sydney Cricket Ground, with Mike Hussey on 55. Australia added 366 runs for the loss of one wicket on the second day.

“It’s a nice start to 2012,” Clarke said. “To score some runs today is very special. The team is in a wonderful position at the moment, 280-odd run lead, but the wicket has flattened out a lot so the most important thing for us is making sure there is enough time in the game to give ourselves a chance to bowl India out.”

Skipper Clarke looked at ease against the blunt Indian attack and, during the evening session, reached his 200 off 284 balls, with 24 fours and a six. His score surpassed Doug Walters’ 242 in 1969 as the highest in an SCG test by an Australian, and is the second highest by an Australian against India after Ponting’s 257.

“All that stuff is fantastic, said Clarke. “I never set out to make 250, it was just about building a partnership with Punter [Ponting] at the start of the day and we continued the momentum from last night. We wanted that partnership to go as long as we could. It’s fantastic to have a score like I do but if you don’t win the Test match it means nothing.”

Ponting’s 134 ended a century drought that stretched back to January 2010 when he scored 209 against Pakistan. Since then, Australia’s greatest Test run scorer had gone 34 innings without reaching the milestone.

Recently, pressure had been growing on the Australian selectors to replace Ponting as the team’s form slid along with that of the former skipper, despite recent scores of 62 and 60 in Australia’s 122-run win in the first test at Melbourne.

“I told a few people in Melbourne that I thought a big score was very close,” Ponting said. “It was an unbelievable day for us and Michael’s innings was the best I’ve seen him bat in any game I’ve played with him. To bat through a day of a Test for one for 360-odd was special.”

Ponting’s eagerness to post his 40th Test century very nearly resulted in disaster when, on 99, he attempted a quick single to mid-on, where Zaheer Khan cleanly gathered and threw at the stumps, only to just miss with a diving Ponting well short of his ground.

The former captain’s relief was clear as he dusted himself off, before raising his arms in triumph and saluting his family in the crowd in recognition of a 150-ball century that contained 11 fours.

“I know that I was probably out by two yards if the ball hit the stumps,” he said. “Bit of brain fade, I guess.”

Ishant Sharma eventually broke the 288-run fourth-wicket partnership – a record for Australia against India – in the second over with the new ball, tempting Ponting into a square drive straight to Sachin Tendulkar at gully.

Hussey’s 55 from 97 balls was also a welcome boost for the West Australian, who has overcome a form dip to bat strongly in successive innings.