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Bagnalore: Australia were 285 for five at the end of first day's play as Marcus North (43) and Tim Paine (8) were at the crease in the second and final Test against India. Ponting (77) was the main scorer for Aussies.
Neither side can find a way to dominate this series and after another absorbing staring contest the teams finished with the honours relatively even. In a topsy-turvy opening on a cloudy day in Bangalore, Australia dominated the first session, slipped to the Indian spinners after lunch and then worked their way back through Ricky Ponting's 77.
But just as Ponting seemed ready to go on to his second century in India he lost focus, falling lbw to Suresh Raina's part-time offspin get maiden Test wicket and the scales were back in balance. At the close Marcus North had battled his way to 43 in another of his regular career-defining innings, and the side was 285 for 5 when bad light ended play.
Earlier, Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh took two wickets but Australia continue to make a steady progress as they reached 189 for three at tea.
Harbhajan dismissed Simon Katich (43) in the first over of the second session, ending the left-hander's 99-run partnership with Shane Watson.
Katich had cut Harbhajan for a four and a similar attempt resulted in an edge towards slip cordon. Rahul Dravid took a neat catch no 198 as India began the middle-session of the day on a splendid note.
The wicket affected Australia's scoring pace and left-arm spinner gave India its second wicket getting Watson caught behind.
A bouncy and turning delivery from Ojha beat Watson and kissed his gloves before India skipper MS Dhoni took a smart catch.
Australians who were scoring freely in the morning session were now playing carefully as Ponting and his deputy Michael Clarke dug in.
Ponting smashed a point boundary to start off his scoring and was unbeaten on 43 till the end of the session although Clarke (14) became second victim of Harbhajan.
Clarke leaned forward to defend, the ball turned, got the inside edge and jumped off the pad towards backward short-leg where an alert Suresh Raina dived forward to catch it.
However, Ponting and Michael Hussey (34) ensured there were no more wicket for Indians till the end of session as they gathered 57 runs for the fourth wicket.
Ponting also became the Australia's leading run scorer against India in Test cricket, overtaking Matthew Hayden, who had scored 1888 between 2001 and 2008.
Watson hit his third consecutive fifty in the series and continued his good run in the current series.
It was just the kind of start Australia were looking for as they aim to level the series, having lost the first Test by one wicket.
Watson, who scored 126 and 56 in Mohali Test, batted with confidence under overcast conditions, making runs briskly.
He hit India's new ball bowlers Zaheer Khan and S Sreesanth, who replaced injured Ishant Sharma, for boundaries to set the tone for the visitors.
Watson survived a good leg-before appeal off Sreesanth to bat through the first session.
Katich was happy playing the second-fiddle as his 39 came from 90 balls with the help of six fours.
India skipper M S Dhoni, who lost his 10th successive toss, handed Test cap to Cheteshwar Pujara as Mohali Test hero VVS Laxman failed to recover from back injury.
Murali Vijay came in for injured Gautam Gambhir. Australia made one change, replacing fast bowler Doug Bollinger with debutant Peter George.
Brief score
Australia 285 for 5 (Ponting 77, Watson 57, Harbhajan Singh 2-100)
