NEW DELHI: Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar hit a quickfire 55-ball half-century to lead Indian innings alongwith Rahul Dravid on the second day of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday.

Scorecard | Profile: Sehwag

Tendulkar and Dravid added fifty runs off just 79 balls for the third wicket. India were 99 for two at tea in their first innings in reply to Australia's 333.

Tendulkar, who was playing shots at his own will, slammed six fine boundaries during his fifty-run knock while Dravid, who has been India's batting mainstay for so long, played his trademark patient innings as he reached his fifty in 137 balls with the help of five fours.

Master blaster Tendulkar got a standing ovation from the MCG crowd as everyone across the globe is keeping their fingers crossed and looking forward to Tendulkar's record 100th international century.

Earlier, Australian seamer James Pattinson gave India denting blow as he dismissed dangerous opener Virender Sehwag just before tea on the second day of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday.

Virender Sehwag, who completed 8000 runs in Tests and hit a 59-ball 50, played the Pattinson's widish delivery on to his stumps as he went for the drive without moving his feet at all.

Sehwag, who played a fine knock of 67 runs that included seven fours, gave India good start despite losing Gautam Gambhir early on the second day of the first Test.

India's flamboyant opener Virender Sehwag reached another milestone as he completed 8000 Test runs. Sehwag reached the landmark when he took a single off Peter Siddle-delivery on Day 2 of the first Test.

Before Sehwag, Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman are the Indian players who have reached the coveted milestone. He is the 23rd batsman in history of Test cricket to complete 8000 Test runs.

Sehwag was dropped three times on his way to a brisk 67 off 83 balls with seven fours in his 75-run stand with Dravid. He got his first reprieve on 11 when he was dropped by Mike Hussey in the gully off Pattinson.

Sehwag, who was going for his shots, gave two more chances on 51 and 58 as he continued to live dangerously. Sehwag hit successive fours off spinner Nathan Lyon and next ball he attempted a lofted shot but was put down in a difficult diving chance by David Warner at long on.

Haddin hashed a one-gloved diving effort on Sehwag seven runs later off Pattinson.

Ben Hilfenhaus gave Australia the first breakthrough when he had Gautam Gambhir caught behind by Brad Haddin after lunch on the second day of the first Test.

Earlier in the day, Gambhir and Sehwag took the Indian first innings to 6/0 at lunch after Zaheer Khan took four wickets and Umesh Yadav and R Ashwin scalped three each as India bowled out Australia for 333 runs in their first innings.

The last Australian wicket fell when Nathan Lyon was bowled round his legs by Ashwin. Australia lost their ninth wicket when R Ashwin had Ben Hilfenhaus caught by Virat Kohli at long-on.

Zaheer Khan took his fourth wicket when he had Peter Siddle caught behind by MS Dhoni. Siddle played well to score 41 runs but fell to Zaheer who was reversing the ball both ways.

Zaheer had Brad Haddin caught by Virender Sehwag at gully in the second over of the day. Zaheer broke the stubborn 72-run stand between Haddin and Peter Siddle as Sehwag took a good low catch.

Australia ended Day 1 at 277/6 after being 205/5 at one stage.

Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma, both playing under the shadow of recent injuries and lay-offs, struggled with their line and length under an overcast sky on a moisture-laden pitch that aided lateral movement when the ball was pitched up.

The hosts opened with debutant Ed Cowan and the belligerent David Warner who were off to a steady start after skipper Michael Clarke won the toss and surprised many by choosing to bat first.

Cowan betrayed no nerves and displayed a fine defensive technique and the right temperament to succeed in Test cricket.

Warner made a sketchy 37 that included a breath-taking pull for six off Umesh Yadav and several airy-fairy shots. He was out off the first ball after a brief rain-induced stoppage at the stroke of the first hour of play when he top-edged a Yadav bouncer that ballooned up to Dhoni behind the stumps.

Shaun Marsh, who has usurped Ricky Ponting's No. 3 position, hardly did justice to the promotion when his intended off-drive off Yadav flew to point, where Virat Kohli held a low catch.

Ponting received a warm welcome from the fans and a hot one from Yadav. The Indian pacer tested the Aussie great with a well-directed bouncer. Ponting, who was late in reacting, was struck just above his elbow and on the grille of his helmet before he regained his bearings and managed to kick the ball away from close to his stumps.

The former Australian captain struggled right through his innings of 62 in the course of which he got beaten several times, overbalanced on a couple of occasions but hung in there to raise 113 runs for the third wicket with the dormant Cowan.

The duo made the Indian pacers pay for their lack of length in the post-lunch session that was delayed by around 40 minutes because of yet another spell of light rain. Just when frustration was creeping into the Indian ranks, Ponting departed much like he had started: a touch shakily. Yadav, having softened him up with a snorter that Ponting somehow managed to evade, got his next delivery to move away late and the batsman edged it to Laxman at second slip.

Clarke, who looked fluent in making a sparkling 31 with five crisply struck boundaries, added a further 46 runs in association with Cowan, but gifted Zaheer his wicket dragging a short ball on to his stumps.