Australia vs India: Steve Smith scores century to close in on 10,000 runs as Australia take control on day two

A mini-collapse sparked by a run-out helped Australia stay on top as India reached 164-5 at stumps on Friday on the second day of the fourth Test of the five-match series.

Australia resumed Friday morning at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 311-6 and scored 474, led by Steve Smith's stylish 140 in front of 85,147 fans.

In reply, India recovered from 51-2 to reach 153-2, but then lost three wickets for six runs in dramatic fashion shortly before stumps. The visitors trailed by 310 runs.

India's first innings started poorly as captain Rohit Sharma (3) spooned an easy catch to mid-on from the bowling of Pat Cummins in the second over. Cummins (2-57) struck again with the last delivery before tea, slicing through the defenses of K.L. Rahul who was bowled for 24.

India recovered through Yashavi Jaiswal (82) and Virat Kohli (36), who steadied India's innings with a 102-run partnership.

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Jaiswal was run out after he pushed a ball to mid-on, set off for a risky single, then realised mid-pitch that Kohli had refused to run.

Pace bowler Scott Boland (2-24) struck in successive overs to remove Kohli caught behind and Akash Deep (0) caught at leg gully as India's fightback faded.

Resuming Friday on 68, Smith climbed to equal-seventh in Test cricket with 34 centuries, reaching his hundred off 167 deliveries with a glorious cover drive to the boundary.

The 35-year-old also scored a century in the third Test in Brisbane and is now only 51 runs shy of the 10,000-run milestone.

In the only wicket to fall in the first session Friday, Cummins was caught at deep cover off the bowling of spinner Ravindra Jadeja (3-78) at 411-7.

Smith shared a 112-run stand with Cummins (49) for Australia's seventh wicket.

Mitchell Starc (15) and Smith departed in the first two overs after lunch. Smith played a ball from Deep onto his stumps after hitting 13 fours and three sixes from 197 deliveries.

India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah (4-99) claimed four victims to increase his tally for the series to 25 wickets at an amazing average of 13.12.

Following a fiery first day of play, match referee Andy Pycroft fined India's Kohli 20 per cent of his match fee for making "inappropriate physical contact" with Australia opener Sam Konstas, who scored 60 on debut. Kohli also received one demerit point.

The five-match series is level at 1-1 after a rainy draw at Brisbane. The fifth and final Test is scheduled to start on January 3 at the Sydney Cricket Ground

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