Australia's top four hammer India

Australia 2 for 348 (Warner 101, Rogers 95, Smith 82*, Watson 61*) v India
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Another year, another David Warner hundred, another Steven Smith fifty. Australia's two leading scorers of 2014 began 2015 in similarly productive fashion, although on a flat SCG pitch against a listless India attack, they were not the only ones who enjoyed the first day. Chris Rogers narrowly missed a century and Shane Watson had a fifty of his own by stumps.

The series started at Adelaide Oval with Australia reaching 6 for 354 on an emotional first day's play, Warner having scored a century and Smith on his way to one. The similarities were obvious on the first day in Sydney, where Australia finished in an even stronger position at 2 for 348, with Smith on 82 and Watson on 61 and India seemingly waiting to see what would happen next.

In Adelaide, the grief after Phillip Hughes' death was still raw, and Warner looked to the sky when he reached his hundred, remembering his fallen friend. In Sydney he did so again, but the more poignant moment came when he tickled a single to move to 63, removed his helmet and gloves and knelt down to kiss the grass by the side of the pitch where Hughes had collapsed.

Hughes would be forever 63 not out, and Warner went to lunch at 63 not out as well. Perhaps it was coincidence, or maybe he orchestrated it that way. India's lacklustre bowling certainly gave him the opportunity. The match started in overcast conditions but there was no swing available, and little spin, and the bowlers were unable to give Virat Kohli the control he desired.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, in for his first Test of the series having missed the first three with an ankle injury, was down on pace. Umesh Yadav leaked six an over. R Ashwin was the only man who looked like he might trouble the Australians on a semi-regular basis, but on a first-day pitch that only occasionally offered notable spin, his work was cut out for him.

India's fielding did not help. KL Rahul, retained after an atrocious debut at the MCG, dropped a regulation chance at slip off Mohammed Shami when Rogers was on 19, and then did not move quickly enough at point when Warner cut uppishly off Ashwin on 62. And on the penultimate ball of the day, Watson's thick edge off Umesh flew to first slip, where Ashwin failed to cling on.

Chances were few and far between in good batting conditions. Warner and Rogers put on 200 for the opening wicket before both fell in consecutive overs, and the Watson-Smith stand by stumps was worth 144. Smith used his feet in characteristic style, getting off the mark with a lofted drive for four off Ashwin and picking up five boundaries off spin and five off pace.

His half-century came from 67 deliveries and it continued his remarkably fluent summer - it is the seventh consecutive Test in which Smith has made a fifty or a century, the best such stretch by an Australian since Simon Katich went nine Tests with such scores in 2009-10. By stumps, he appeared to be on track for a fourth consecutive first-innings hundred.

Watson was slower initially and waited for bad balls to put away, using his muscle to force through gaps when he could. He struck six boundaries and on what is effectively the tenth anniversary of his Test debut against Pakistan at the SCG in January 2005, he now has the chance to turn his fifty into the fifth century of his Test career.

Smith and Watson had come together after Warner and Rogers fell either side of the drinks break in the second session. On 95, Rogers played on to Shami, the frustration evident on Rogers' face as he walked off having missed another chance for a hundred. His past five Test innings have all brought half-centuries but his most recent ton came in Port Elizabeth in February, and the conditions in Sydney appeared perfect for another.

In the previous over, on 101, Warner had tried to turn Ashwin to leg and instead popped a catch up to M Vijay at slip. Australia's total at the time was 200 and it was the first double-century opening stand by an Australian pair in a Test since Warner and Ed Cowan put on 214 at the WACA against India three years ago.

Warner's 12th Test hundred had arrived from 108 deliveries with a pull through square leg for four off Shami, and his now traditional leaping celebration followed, as well as a look up to the sky. He had reached his half-century from just 45 deliveries but generally was in control, going after anything loose from the Indians, and there were plenty of opportunities.

His century featured 16 boundaries, including a well-struck reverse sweep off Ashwin. He also had moments of luck, notably an inside edge past leg stump early in his innings off Yadav. Rogers also had fortune early, following his life on 19 with a slashed cut for four through point.

Rogers played confidently and was especially impressive when driving on the front foot, both through cover and straight down the ground. The century stand was the sixth between Rogers and Warner from only 31 innings together at the top of the order.

They were operating against an inexperienced India line-up - for the first time since September 2001 India were playing a Test with no members of their side having more than 50 Test caps to his name. Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ishant Sharma were all left out, along with the retired MS Dhoni, and Bhuvneshwar, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina and Wriddhiman Saha came in.

At the end of the day, the names might have changed, but the outcome looked much the same - India were conceding another hefty first-innings total.