While the SCG was bathed in pink in honour of Jane McGrath on Thursday, it quickly became clear the breast cancer foundation headed by former fast bowling champion Glenn would have to take a backseat. It would be Michael Clarke's day; not even a beautiful 150 from Mike Hussey could steal the show.

An Indian team, having already toiled all of Wednesday in the field, were ultimately subjected to another three-quarters of a day of torture. Clarke, having started the day on 251, and partner Hussey, who began on 55, spent the day going about the business of scoring runs. And boy, was business good.

Clarke didn't start as strongly as his partner. From the beginning Hussey was driving confidently through the covers, while Clarke was more reserved, almost sensing the national pressure that was being heaped on him for a big score. Hussey's liberal run scoring gave his skipper a chance to relax and begin to re-enjoy his cricket after the overnight break. Finally, about an hour into the day, Clarke looked ready.

From there Clarke began to pick off the Indian bowlers and dispatch their meagre efforts to the boundary. Umesh Yadav  (0/123) copped the brunt of it, especially given he bowled the least number of overs of any of the seamers, though Clarke was equally comfortable against Ishant Sharma (1/144), against whom he scored 14 boundaries and almost a third of his runs.

Over and again the Indians would deliver onto his pads and just as quickly the crowd would roar and clap as he rolled his wrists and glided balls to the rope. Clarke's momentous effort broke a series records, not least of all the highest score ever at the Sydney Cricket Ground. You can hardly imagine the ground's administration could have wished for a better celebration of its 100th Test match.

At 4pm on day one, with Shaun Marsh out for a golden duck and Australia sitting at 3/37, it would have taken a daring soul to suggest what has ultimately unfolded. It would hardly have been out of order to posit a scenario whereby Australia would collapse and fail to capitalise on a splendid opening day's bowling effort to dismiss the Indians. While a situation akin to its 47 in South Africa barely two months ago was unlikely, Marsh's dismissal exposed an underdone middle order desperate for runs and labelled as suspect by fans.

Of course, it was not so. To see Clarke and Ponting go as they did yesterday was special; 288-run stands do not come along every Test match. The partnership that ultimately followed, with Hussey and his captain, an unbroken partnership of 334 was phenomenal. Neither gave India any chances — there were no dropped catches, no close LBW appeals, nothing to give any respite — and both took every opportunity they were given, be it to finesse a short ball behind point or whisk a ball straying on their pads to the mid-wicket boundary.

There was something particularly masterful about Clarke's knock today — it was effortless in the way that the centuries from Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey weren't. Where they were ostensibly teetering on the edge of cricket oblivion, Clarke was at his peak.

To top it all off, when Clarke finally did declare before tea, the Australian bowlers came out on fire. You would probably have cause for disappointment if they didn't, given how well rested they were from their first innings achievements, but it was a great display, yet again.

Even as Gautam Gambhir began to score freely, Ben Hilfenhaus, James Pattinson and Peter Siddle all held their line. Eventually, it was Hilfenhaus who struck, removing Virender Sehwag who cut lazily, without any movement of his feet, straight to a near-horizontal David Warner at point who held on to a blinder. Then, when it looked as though Rahul Dravid and Gambhir may put up some resistance, Hilfenhaus struck once more, removing Dravid in a fashion he is quickly becoming accustomed to on this tour, bowled through the gate between bat and pad.

In came the Little Master, Sachin Tendulkar, but his stroke play was missing. A series of eight consecutive maidens were bowled in the dozen before stumps, before eventually it was left to a confident-looking James Pattinson to find Gambhir's edge. It was put down by a fumbling Brad Haddin, whose wicketkeeping prowess is being increasingly called into question, not dissimilarly to his role in the batting line-up. He has only Tim Paine's broken fingers to thank for his current opportunites, not present form.

With seamers returning fresh on Friday, and a pitch that is only going to become less batsman-friendly, it is not easy to see India salvaging a draw. Despite forecast showers, Australia has two full days in which to obliterate India's ageing batting stars and suspect tail. With a deficit of 354 runs still remaining to make Australia bat a second time, you hardly think Clarke and co. will need their full allotment.