Warner bludgeons sorry India

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David Warner hurries to three figures from 69 balls with a six over mid-on off Vinay Kumar as Australia closed on 149 for none, 12 in arrears

David Warner smashed one of the fastest Test centuries to cap a wholly dominant opening day for Australia in the third Test against India at Perth.

After an all-seam attack made full use of a fast-paced WACA wicket to dismiss India for 161 in 60.2 overs, Warner unleashed an onslaught of strokeplay to reach his second Test hundred in just 69 balls.

It was the equal fourth-quickest in history and was secured in typical style when the diminutive left-hander thrashed Test debutant Vinay Kumar deep into the crowd over mid-on.

Warner’s blazing innings ensured Australia were well on course to claim a series-clinching win after finishing the day on 149 for none - just 12 runs behind - with Warner on 104 and Ed Cowan 40.

The hosts’ four-pronged pace battery had earlier sunk an already beleaguered India, trailing 2-0 in the four-Test series, with Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle doing the major damage.

After Michal Clarke won the toss, Hilfenhaus - who took 4-43 - had Virender Sehwag caught at second slip for nought. Following a brief recovery, Rahul Dravid fell to Siddle, who claimed 3-42, bowled for the fourth time in five innings.

Sachin Tendulkar, who had confidently stroked Siddle to the straight boundary for his first three scoring shots, played outside a Ryan Harris off-cutter to be trapped lbw.

India were then reduced to 63 for four just before lunch when opener Gautam Gambhir, who had battled hard for 31, edged Hilfenhaus behind.

Virat Kohli and VVS Laxman combined for a fighting fifth-wicket stand of 68, including 26 slow runs in the 14 overs after the interval, but Siddle snared both before tea.

Kohli had been far more fluent than Laxman, flicking everything off his pads, until he was caught at point for 44. An unusually stoic Laxman edged to first slip in Siddle’s next over to depart for 31.

The tourists soon lost their last four wickets for nine runs as Mitchell Starc trapped Vinay in front, Hilfenhaus had Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Zaheer Khan held in the slips, and Ishant Sharma was caught behind off Starc.

The poor end to the innings was carried over into the bowling effort when Warner cut India apart with an onslaught of strokeplay.

He greeted Vinay with an effortless straight six in his first over and reached his half-century in 36 balls with a boundary to the point rope.

Where Australia’s all-out pace assault worked, India’s decision to also employ four seamers - the first time they had done so since Sydney in 1992 - quickly fell flat and Warner then bashed Ishant straight back over his head.

The opener was briefly stopped when he was hit on the helmet by a Umesh Yadav bouncer, but soon after he lifted Vinay over the ropes to bring up a remarkable hundred.