A sedate Gautam Gambhir (149 not out) slammed his second successive century against Australia as India weathered a wobbly morning session before finishing day one of the third cricket Test on a strong note in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Squirming at 27 for two inside 11 overs with two of the premier batsmen back in the hut, India seemed in a spot of bother before Gambhir raised 130 runs with Sachin Tendulkar (68) and another unbroken 139 with VVS Laxman (54 not out) to help the hosts reach a comfortable 296 for three wickets at stumps. Gambhir and Laxman will resume on Thursday to consolidate India's position in the match.

Gambhir's career-best 285-ball knock was studded with 20 boundaries and a six, while Laxman hit three fours en route to an unbeaten fifty.

With fit-again captain Anil Kumble calling it correct at the toss of coin, India got just what they wanted – leaving Australia with the dreadful proposition of batting last on the notoriously spin-friendly Ferozeshah Kotla track.

The decision to bat first, however, appeared to have boomeranged in the first hour itself with Virender Sehwag (1) and Rahul Dravid (11) cooling their heels in the pavilion.

Sehwag's stay at his home turf was cut short to just two deliveries. Brett Lee rapped the leaden-footed right hander with the one that came in and if lack of feet movement did Sehwag in, Dravid perished to poor shot selection.

Bowling only his fourth ball of the match, first change bowler Mitchell Johnson angled it across and Matthew Hayden collected Dravid's ugly poke at ankle height in the first slip.

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