Warner reached his ton off just 69 balls, finishing the day unbeaten on 104. Ed Cowan was also unbeaten on 40 when Australia went to stumps none for 149 in reply to India’s 161.
Warner’s blistering knock, which consisted of 13 fours and three sixes, put Australia in a dominant position after pacemen Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle combined for seven wickets earlier in the day.
Cricket Australia’s new rotation policy for fast bowlers will continue to cause controversy, although something clearly has to be done with half a dozen quicks on the sidelines with various injuries.
However, good luck telling swing bowler Ben Hilfenhaus he needs to have a break, despite bowling more overs than anyone else in the series so far.
The former Ulverstone brickie, back after a year out of Test cricket as he battled knee tendinitis and rebuilt his bowling action, made sure Australia’s attack didn’t miss a beat after the home side gambled on bowling first at the WACA on Friday.
In-form young sensation James Pattinson was out with a foot injury and spinner Nathan Lyon was left out as Ryan Harris and Mitchell Starc joined Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle in a four-man pace attack.
Just 60.2 overs later India were all out for 161 with Hilfenhaus claiming 4-43 off 18 overs.
Hilfenhaus struck first as Virender Sehwag fell for a duck, displaying a lack of footwork against the moving ball.
The 28-year-old also removed Gautam Gambhir (31) and skipper MS Dhoni (12) before picking up the wicket of tailender Zaheer Khan (two).
Hilfenhaus, who has 19 wickets at 16.52 in the current series, has made a stunning return to the national scene and shapes as a key player for the 2013 Ashes tour.
ABC Radio commentator Terry Alderman said on Friday he couldn’t see the rotation policy going down too well with Dennis Lillee, for example, in the 1970s.
And Hilfenhaus, who is clearly making up for lost time, would not be keen on having a rest for the fourth Test which starts in Adelaide on January 24.
Starc and Harris will also want continuity.
This leaves hard-working quick Peter Siddle as a potential candidate to have a rest, allowing South Australia spinner Lyon to get back into the Test side on his home ground.
Siddle, with 14 wickets at 20.71 in the series including 3-42 on Friday, is in tremendous form but five into four won’t go for Adelaide.
Starc, a 21-year-old in his third Test, claimed 2-39 from 12.2 overs. He’s a player of the future while 32-year-old Harris admits he’s probably only one more muscle strain away from the end of his Test career.
