Ponting, 123, and opener Simon Katich (66) put together a patient 166-run stand to set a sound platform for the Australian innings after Matthew Hayden was dismissed in the first over of the match.

Australia was 4-254 at the close of play, with Michael Clarke (11) dismissed in the last over of the day by Zaheer Khan, who was the best of the bowlers with 2-39. Michael Hussey remains unbeaten on 46.

The initial rounds of Ponting's duel against young paceman Ishant Sharma (1-49) and provocative spinner Harbhajan Singh (1-71) were won comfortably by the batsman, and Katich frustrated the Indians by scrapping runs here and there in his ungainly style.

Much had been said about the importance of Indian veteran Hayden to the Australian cause, but he lasted all of three balls on the first morning of the series.

Allowing the first two from Zaheer Khan to pass, Hayden pushed at the third and after a confused mix of bat and pad he was sent on his way by umpire Asad Rauf.

Replays suggested bat and ball had not touched, the noise caused instead by the impact of bat onto pad.

Ponting and Katich set about repairing the damage in an assured manner, taking advantage of a pitch that offered very little assistance once the shine went from the ball.

Harbhajan's first ball to Ponting was a poor one, allowing the Australian captain to flick it to fine leg for a boundary, and after lunch he twice advanced to drop-kick the off spinner over mid-wicket.

His only miscue was a fortunate inside edge past the stumps that raced away for four.

Katich was less expansive, playing a handful of fine drives off the front foot, and it was a genuine surprise when Sharma persuaded him to edge a length ball to 'keeper Mahendra Dhoni in the shadows of the interval.

The Australians earlier named 25-year-old Victorian all-rounder Cameron White for his Test debut, relegating finger spinner Jason Krejza to 12th-man duties.

[FUTag]AAP