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Opener Gautam Gambhir struck a career-best unbeaten 149 and his second consecutive century to hand India control against Australia on the first day of the third Test.

India were 296 for three at stumps after Gambhir led a superb recovery following two early wickets, the hosts having elected to bat on a Ferozshah Kotla pitch expected to help spinners later in the game.

The 27-year-old Delhi batsman added 130 runs for the third wicket with Sachin Tendulkar, who hit a fluent 68, and 139 runs for the unbroken fourth wicket with Vangipurappu Laxman, who was 54 not out at the close.

The left-hander struck 20 fours and a six in his 285-ball knock spanning over six hours, having scored 104 in the second Test in Mohali last week to help India win by a record 320 runs to go 1-0 up in the four-match series.

Australian pacemen Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson removed Virender Sehwag (1) and Rahul Dravid (11) cheaply.

Gambhir, whose previous best test score was 139, initially supported Tendulkar as they revived the innings, keeping his focus despite Australia's tight bowling and fielding until tea.

Tendulkar scored his 51st Test fifty before Johnson had him caught behind to take his second wicket before tea, but Laxman helped consolidate the innings.

Gambhir took charge after tea, playing exquisite drives on either side of the pitch and hit Johnson and Shane Watson for a flurry of fours to go from 87 to 100.

His superb batting was marred by clashes on the field.

Gambhir lost his cool before tea when he elbowed Watson while going for a run, after the bowler appeared to gesture and say something to him.

Watson forced him to fend a sharp bouncer for four to move into 90s but the batsman stepped out and hoisted him over long on for six to reach a third Test century.

He also exchanged words with Simon Katich after the spinner appeared to block him attempting a quick single.

The wristy Laxman rotated the strike at the other end as he allowed Gambhir to dominate, leaving Australia plenty of work to do to turn things around.

Strike bowler Lee, who has struggled in the series, struck in his second over of the morning by trapping Sehwag leg before.

Johnson then tempted Dravid to edge an attempted drive off a delivery slanted across his bat, low to Matthew Hayden at slip.

Tendulkar, Test cricket's most prolific scorer, played classy shots and also improvised, tapping a Lee bouncer to third man for four before slashing Stuart Clark between the slip fielders for his eighth four to reach fifty.

He fell to his first mistake, pushing at a Johnson delivery which moved away to be caught behind.

India skipper and leg spinner Anil Kumble returned to the side at his favourite venue after missing out in Mohali due to injury.

Off spinner Harbhajan Singh, one short of 300 Test wickets, was ruled out after failing to recover from a toe problem.

Paceman Clark, who missed the previous Test due to an elbow injury, conceded just 29 runs from 21 overs but went without a wicket.

The first match of the four-Test series in Bangalore ended in a draw. The final Test starts in Nagpur on November 6.

Reuters