Debuttantt Dhawan blludgeonss Aussssiiess iintto ssubmiissssiion

Debutant Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay's record opening partnership helped India reach 283 for no loss at stumps on day three of the third Test against Australia at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) on Saturday.

Dhawan (batting 185) and Vijay (batting 83) recorded the highest first wicket partnership for India against Australia. India now trail Australia by 125 runs. Earlier, Dhawan hit a 85-ball hundred, fastest by any cricketer on debut in Test history to give strong reply to the visitors' first innings total of 408.

Dhawan broke the record of West Indies batsman Dwayne Smith who reached his 100 off 93 balls against South Africa at Newlands, Cape Town in January 2004.

Interestingly, Dhawan raced into the 90s without hitting a single ball in the air. What makes his effort even more praiseworthy is that he maintained a strike-rate of over hundred almost all through his innings. It was a staggering 117.64 when Dhawan got to the three-figure mark.

Earlier, one run was all that separated Starc from becoming the first number nine Australian batsman to notch up a century, as the visitors posted a competitive total.

Ray Lindwall had scored exactly 100 against England at the MCG in 1947 while coming out at number nine.

Though he missed out on the hundred by a whisker, Starc, along with Steven Smith (92), frustrated the Indians for a while, helping Australia add 135 runs in the first session of play before Ravichandran Ashwin trapped last-man Xavier Doherty.