Perth, Jan 14 (IANS): Australia were at a comfortable 256 for three and 95 ahead of India's 161 at lunch on Day Two of the second Test here Saturday. The lone positive for the visitors in the morning session were triple strikes from speedster Umesh Yadav.
David Warner, given a life on 126, was batting on 156 with Michael Clarke (3) joining him at the crease after the session that saw wayward bowling from the Indians in the first hour and an improved effort in the second.
Ed Cowan and Warner shared a 214-run stand for the opening wicket before the former was bowled on 74.
Zaheer Khan (0/62) started well for India, beating Warner with the off-stump line on a number of occasions. But similar to Friday's evening session, India's premier bowler did not get the support from the likes of Ishant Sharma (0/49), R. Vinay Kumar (0/48) and Yadav (3/80) from the other end. Both Sharma and Yadav bowled an inconsistent line and were punished severely every time they bowled short to Warner.
Warner got a breather when Virat Kohli, standing at the first slip for off-the-field Rahul Dravid, dropped a regulation catch off Zaheer's bowling.
Yadav bounced back strongly towards the end of the session, castling the stumps of Ricky Ponting (7) and inducing an out-of-form Shaun Marsh to edge to V.V.S. Laxman at second slip (11).