Manning triumphs in Broncos debut

DENVER — After 611 days away, Peyton Manning couldn't wait to get back on the field. Ben Roethlisberger seemed determined to keep him on the sideline.

Old dog, new tricks: Peyton Manning sheds a tackle during the Broncos' 31-19 victory over the Steelers on Sunday night in Denver. AP

Manning overcame Pittsburgh's 10-minute advantage in time of possession and led a hurry-up offense that helped the Broncos beat the Steelers 31-19 on Sunday night in his Denver debut.

"It's just one game. I try to keep it in perspective," Manning said. "I know how hard I've worked to get to this point. I know how much help that I've gotten along the way, from a lot of people. I'm very grateful for that. It's special. I will definitely say it's special."

The four-time MVP coming off four neck surgeries that wiped out his final season in Indianapolis last year completed 19 of 26 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked twice and bounced up both times without trouble.

Manning got a big assist from another big-time free agent, cornerback Tracy Porter, whose 43-yard interception return of Roethlisberger's pass with 2 minutes left and the Broncos clinging to a six-point lead sealed the victory.

"I should've called timeout," Roethlisberger said. "The play clock was running down, I hate to burn timeouts. I should've. We were kind of all over the place.

"There's no one to blame but myself. I already told my teammates and coaches that it's my fault. It's on me. It's disappointing. I hate to let my team down, my coaches, the fans. That loss is squarely on my shoulders. I'll take that and get better and learn from it."

Manning, jettisoned by the Colts in March after missing all of last season with a nerve injury that weakened his throwing arm, took just two snaps in the third quarter. But one was a 71-yard touchdown throw to Demaryius Thomas, Manning's first as a Bronco and the 400th of his career.

He reached the milestone in his 208th career game. Dan Marino did it in his 227th game and Brett Favre in his 228th.

"I love those guys," Manning said. "Brett and Dan are two of my favorite quarterbacks of all time. I don't feel like I belong in their category. But to be sort of mentioned among them is a true honor."

Manning, however, didn't even keep the ball for his trophy case.

"I talked to him after the game and said, 'You're going to let me keep the ball right?' He got one of the game balls, so he gave me that ball," Thomas said. "That's great to be able to catch his 400th. Hopefully he'll sign it for me. I can go back and show my grandkids in the record book."

Manning, who hadn't played in a game that counted since Jan. 8, 2011, spent much of his night on the sideline as Roethlisberger led a clock-chewing offense that had Denver's defenders gassed and Manning antsy as the Steelers converted 11 of 19 third downs.

"That's what Peyton kept saying to me: 'You guys killed us on third down.' We did," Roethlisberger said. "But at the end of the day it doesn't matter when you lose the game."

At one point, Roethlisberger had taken 30 snaps to Manning's one — a kneel-down — during two monstrous drives that spanned halftime.

"Roethlisberger was awesome on third down," Manning said. "Wasn't much fun sitting on the bench there all night. Great job by our defense in the end, getting that turnover."

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said playing keep-away from Manning was the game plan.

"That was our intention," Tomlin said. "We need to possess the ball, we needed to get stops and time of possession is just that, though you look at the scoreboard, they got it done, we didn't. The plan didn't come to fruition."

49ers 30, Packers 22: In Green Bay, showing the same brand of dominant defense that powered them to the NFC Championship Game last season, San Francisco smothered NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense.

Redskins 40, Saints 32: In New Orleans, Robert Griffin III began his NFL career by connecting on 19 of 26 passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns.

Griffin completed his first eight passes, including an 88-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon, tying for the second-longest scoring pass by a quarterback making his NFL debut.

Vikings 26, Jaguars 23 (OT): In Minneapolis, rookie Blair Walsh kicked four field goals, including a 55-yarder as regulation expired and another in overtime.

For the first time since the NFL's new overtime scoring rule was installed last season, the first team on the board didn't immediately run off the field a winner.

After Walsh's 38-yard kick, the Vikings had to play defense again while the Jaguars had their chance to match. But Gabbert was hurried into a fourth-down overthrow.

Bears 41, Colts 21: In Chicago, Jay Cutler threw for 333 yards and two touchdowns and Michael Bush added a pair of scoring runs to spoil the debut of quarterback Andrew Luck, who finished 23 of 45 for 309 yards with a TD, but also three interceptions.

Eagles 17, Browns 16: In Cleveland, Michael Vick overcame four interceptions by throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass to Clay Harbor with 1:18 left.

Lions 27, Rams 23: In Detroit, Matthew Stafford threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Smith with 10 seconds left.

Jets 48, Bills 28: In East Rutherford, New Jersey, Mark Sanchez threw three touchdown passes, including two to rookie Stephen Hill, and the Jets eased concerns about their offense.

Texans 30, Dolphins 10: In Houston, Arian Foster had two touchdown runs, Matt Schaub threw a TD pass to Andre Johnson, and the Texans defense dominated rookie Ryan Tannehill and Miami.

Patriots 34, Titans 13: In Nashville, Tennessee, Tom Brady threw for 236 yards and two touchdowns for New England.

Falcons 40, Chiefs 24: In Kansas City, Matt Ryan threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns, one of them to Tony Gonzalez in his return to Kansas City.

Buccaneers 16, Panthers 7: In Tampa, the Buccaneers' rejuvenated defense came up with two interceptions against Cam Newton.

Cardinals 20, Seahawks 16: In Glendale, Arizona, Kevin Kolb replaced injured John Skelton and led Arizona on the deciding touchdown drive, throwing 6 yards to Andre Roberts with 4:59 to play.

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Sakai eager for Bundesliga debut

KASHIWA, Chiba Pref. — Japan defender Hiroki Sakai said Wednesday he is relishing the prospect of testing himself against the likes of Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery after earning a move from Kashiwa Reysol to the German Bundesliga with Hannover.

"I'm looking forward to seeing how I match up to the attacking force of Robben and Ribery," Sakai said of the Bayern Munich stars. "I want to play against big clubs and I get excited just thinking about being there (in Germany)."

"I have been watching overseas soccer on video since I was playing at youth level and I have always thought I would like to play abroad if I got the call," added the 22-year-old, who said the stability at Hannover had appealed to him.

Sakai has signed a four-year contract with Hannover. The terms of the deal, including his wage and the transfer fee, were not disclosed.

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Matsui hits two-run home run in debut game with Rays

Return of Godzilla: Hideki Matsui rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run in his debut with the Rays. KYODO

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida — Hideki Matsui made a great first impression in his Tampa Bay debut.

Hideki Matsui hits a two-run home run during Tampa Bay's 7-2 loss against the White Sox on Wednesday in St. Petersburg, Florida. Matsui, appearing in his first MLB game of the season, homered in the second at-bat of his Rays debut. KYODO PHOTO

Matsui provided all the Rays offense with a two-run homer in Tampa Bay's 7-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night.

The Rays purchased the 2009 World Series MVP's contract from Triple-A Durham before the game.

"It was nice to hit the home run, but we lost the game," Matsui said through a translator. "Physically I feel fine. So hopefully I can just keep building from here."

Philip Humber won for the first time since throwing a perfect game in April, helping the White Sox extend their winning streak to seven games.

Humber (2-2) was 0-2 with an 8.22 ERA over six starts since his gem against Seattle on April 21. The right-hander allowed two runs and five hits over seven innings Tuesday.

Matsui put the Rays ahead 2-0 on a long homer to right off a Humber fastball in the fourth. It was his first homer since Sept. 19 against Texas while with Oakland.

"Absolutely great," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. "The new guy in town homers."

Matsui, who turns 38 on June 12, started in left field. He played 13 games with Durham after signing a minor league contract with Tampa Bay on April 30.

"He's been a quality batsman in the league for a long time," Humber said. "First pitch of the at-bat, I felt like it was a pretty decent pitch, but he put a good swing on it. You've got to tip your cap sometimes, but he's a good hitter and it's not a mistake he's been around as long as he has."

Matsui has 174 homers in the majors, and 506 overall when you include his time playing with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan.

"He looked really good," Maddon said. "He had a great first game for us."

Matsui got a nice welcome, with a few fans giving him a standing ovation, before his first at-bat. He finished 1-for-4.

Angels 5, Yankees 1

In Anaheim, Albert Pujols and Mark Trumbo homered, Dan Haren pitched into the eighth inning, and the Angels extended their longest winning streak in nearly three years to eight games.

Mariners 10, Rangers 3

In Arlington, Texas, John Jaso drove in three runs and starter Jason Vargas pitched into the seventh inning.

Ichiro Suzuki finished 1-for-3 with an RBI for Seattle.

Red Sox 6, Tigers 3

In Boston, David Ortiz homered and hit two doubles, and the Red Sox moved above .500 for the first time this season, tagging Justin Verlander for 10 hits in a win over Detroit.

Blue Jays 8, Orioles 6

In Toronto, Brett Lawrie had three hits and three RBIs, and Ricky Romero won for the seventh time in nine starts against Baltimore.

Royals 8, Indians 2

In Cleveland, Mike Moustakas had a career-best four RBIs to help rookie Will Smith get his first major league win, leading Kansas City past the Indians.

Twins 3, Athletics 2

In Minneapolis, Josh Willingham hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift Minnesota over Oakland.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Marlins 3, Nationals 1

In Miami, Anibal Sanchez allowed only an unearned run in seven innings to remain unbeaten in 19 starts against Washington.

Braves 5, Cardinals 4

In Atlanta, Dan Uggla hit a three-run homer, Michael Bourn also went deep and the Braves snapped and eight-game skid, their longest losing streak in more than two years.

Cubs 5, Padres 3

In Chicago, Alfonso Soriano homered, Jeff Samardzija struck out eight in seven innings and the Cubs beat San Diego.

Mets 6, Phillies 3

In New York, Jeremy Hefner earned his first victory in the majors, highlighting the occasion by homering for his first big league hit.

The 26-year-old rookie became the first major league pitcher to hit his first homer in his first win since 2002, when Dennis Tankersley did it with San Diego.

Reds 8, Pirates 1

In Pittsburgh, Jay Bruce had three hits, including a pair of doubles and Todd Frazier drove in two runs.

Brewers 2, Dodgers 1

In Los Angeles, Ryan Braun hit a two-run homer, getting back at Dodgers fans who booed his every move.

Giants 3, Diamondbacks 1

In San Francisco, Melky Cabrera got his 50th hit of the month to spark the go-ahead rally and Buster Posey drove in a pair of runs.

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Matsui hitless in minor league debut

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA — Hideki Matsui went hitless in his minor league debut on Tuesday.

The 37-year-old, who recently signed a minor-league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays, batted fourth as the Triple-A Durham Bulls' designated hitter against Pawtucket. He struck out once in four at-bats.

"The level of pitching was higher than I've seen so far," said Matsui, who has appeared only in practice games. "Physically, I felt good and didn't have any trouble seeing the ball."

Matsui arrived at the park in Durham 2? hours before game time from Toronto, where he completed getting his visa. He had taken part in four practice games from May 9. His Durham debut marked his first official game since Sept. 28, when he was with the Oakland Athletics.

"As far as my conditioning goes, I'm OK," he said. "But as far as my play goes, it's going to take a few games before I really know. I am aiming to get called up to the majors as soon as possible, so I need to produce (here)."

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Igawa pulled after injury in Buffaloes debut

KOBE — Left-hander Kei Igawa made his first start back in Japan in six years, but the New York Yankee throwaway left early with an injury in the Orix Buffaloes' 1-0 defeat to the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks on Wednesday.

He's back: Kei Igawa's debut with the Orix Buffaloes was cut short by an injury. KYODO

Softbank starter Kenji Otonari (3-2) threw 6? scoreless innings before the game was handed over to the bullpen. He struck out eight and walked one. Brain Falkenborg fanned three in the ninth for his 13th save.

Igawa (0-1) yielded one run in 3? innings while striking out three and walking one at Hotto Motto Field Kobe.

It was Igawa's first time back pitching for a Japanese team since Oct. 16, 2006, when he pitched for the Hanshin Tigers in a game against the Yakult Swallows at Jingu Stadium

Kenji Akaishi poked a grounder off Igawa between third and shortstop with runners at the corners to score the sole run with one out in the third.

"I had a chance, and I tried to be aggressive," said Akaishi, who has hit in seven consecutive games. "The ball went in a perfect location."

In December, 2006, the Yankees signed Igawa to a five-year, $20 million contract after winning the exclusive negotiating rights with a $26 million bid under the posting system.

But he ended up winning just two games (with four losses) and spent most of his time in the minor leagues, turning out to be a major bust on the Yankee's payroll before his contract expired last year.

Marines 4, Fighters 1

At Chiba's QVC Marine Field, Shunsuke Watanabe gave up one run over five innings despite scattering seven hits, and Chiba Lotte beat Hokkaido Nippon Ham in a game that was called in the bottom of the fifth due to rain.

Tadahito Iguchi sparked a three-run first against Brain Wolfe (2-3) with a one-out, run-scoring single, and Kazuya Fukuura added an RBI single in the third. Micah Hoffpauir homered in the fifth for Nippon Ham.

Eagles 1, Lions 0

At Sendai's Kleenex Stadium, Takashi Kawai (1-0) went 6? scoreless innings, Asahisa Makida hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth, and Tohoku Rakuten edged Seibu to snap a three-game skid.

Koji Aoyama escaped a two-on jam in the ninth for his first save this season. Takayuki Kishi (3-3) limited the damage to one run in eight innings but took the loss.

CENTRAL LEAGUE

Giants 8, BayStars 5

At Tokyo Dome, D.J. Houlton tossed two-run ball over seven innings, Yoshitomo Tani hit a three-run homer, and Yoshinobu Takahashi went 3-for-4 with two RBIs as Yomiuri ended Yokohama's unbeaten streak at five games.

Shuichi Murata had a game-tying single and Takahashi gave Yomiuri the lead with a single of his own in the third. Tani went deep off Giancarlo Alvarado (1-4) to make it 6-2 in the fifth.

Dragons 8, Swallows 3

Tigers 6, Carp 2

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Jets beat Two Three in Emperor's Cup debut

The Chiba Jets' defensive intensity picked up in the second half of Monday's Emperor's Cup game against club team Two Three. At the same time, the Jets starting making shots with regularity.

Two big runs fueled the Jets' strong second half in a runaway 99-68 victory over the Yamamguchi Prefecture-based squad at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.

The expansion Jets, under first-year coach Eric Gardow, became the first bj-league team to appear in an All-Japan Basketball Championship game, doing so in the 87th Emperor's Cup.

"It's a great opportunity for Japanese players to show their talents in a great atmosphere," said Chiba coach Eric Gardow, who previously coached pro ball in Qatar.

Chiba, which led 45-40 at halftime, had spurts of 14-0 and 16-0 and opened the second half by outscoring Two Three 40-12. That made it 85-57 after Shota Isshiki's baseline jumper late in the fourth quarter.

"Getting stops defensively and getting rebounds," were keys, Gardow told reporters. "More importantly, we got some easy transition baskets. (Lead guard) Maurice (Hargrow) got into a little rhythm there right off the bat in the third quarter, which was good for him. And that felt natural for us when he was in that position. That just really let us settle down a little bit. Our guys were nervous, excited, playing in the All-Japan (Championship). A lot of these guys grew up dreaming about this."

Forward Tomoya "Chomo" Nakamura, who has played in the bj-league since its establishment in 2005, was among the players fulfilling that dream. In fact, Nakamura had played in the Emperor's Cup eight years earlier while at Chuo University.

Nakamura said it was his dream to again play before the excited boosters in the Emperor's Cup.

"As expected, it was a good feeling to be out there today," he said with a big smile. "I really enjoyed the game."

"I'm glad to be here," he added.

Noticing a banner held up by fans behind the team's bench that featured the logos of all 19 bj-league teams, Nakamura said the Jets were "proud to represent Chiba, proud to represent the bj-league" at this marquee event.

Hargrow, meanwhile, admitted he didn't realize how big a deal the Emperor's Cup was on a national level to Japanese players and fans, but soon found out by the way his teammates and the boosters became fired up as the game progressed. "It was fun," he added. "We're honored to be here and represent the bj-league."

With the win, the Jets will face JBL club Levanga Hokkaido on Wednesday afternoon. The 32-team tourney, featuring JBL, JBL2, college, club and high school representatives, will crown a champion next Monday.

"With all due respect, we are the underdog," Gardow said, looking ahead to Chiba's next game."We're not expected to win, but we're really looking forward to the challenge. I don't know how to prepare to lose, but I know how to prepare to win whether we are playing the (Los Angeles) Lakers or Hokkaido."

Facing Hokkaido, Gardow added, will be a fun challenge, noting that the club has a "Japanese legend (Takehiko Orimo) that's still playing."

Hargrow paced the Jets with a game-high 24 points and a team-high three 3-pointers. Nakamura had 17 points and a game-best 12 rebounds and two blocked shots. Takaki Ishida poured in 11 points, Mitsuhiro Kamezaki scored nine, Hiroki Sato had eight and Kensuke Tanaka and Kosuke Yahata chipped in with seven points apiece.

Chiba was 26-for-39 at the free-throw line. The Jets out-rebounded Two Three 55-39 and held the club team to 28-for-78 shooting.

Osamu Shimabukuro led Two Three with 13 points.

The Emperor's Cup is a much different format than bj-league games. For starters, it features the one-import rule; bj-league rules permit three foreigners on the court except during the second quarter when the number is reduced to two. Second, the tournament games are played with a FIBA regulation ball instead of the bj-league's NBA-regulation size Spalding ball. Third, two game officials instead of three are on the court.

The Jets prepared for the national tournament by using the Molten basketball during Monday's practice. That got them used to the feel of the FIBA-size ball, Hargrow said. "But at the end of the day," he said, "it's still just basketball."

Attacking the basket with regularity kept the Jets playing at a high level for much of the game. The 198-cm Nakamura was a focal point of the team's inside game as the team got him the ball early and often.

Nakamura was 6-for-9 from the field, and fans chanted "Chomo, Chomo, Chomo," when the ball was in his hands. All told, the Jets were 26-for-52 from inside the 3-point arc. They shot 7-for-17 from the arc.

Nakamura, who has played for the title-winning Osaka Evessa and championship-contending Tokyo Apache in past years, scored the game's first two points at the charity stripe, and Chiba led 5-0 after a Hargrow 3-pointer. But Two Three, relying on speed, good ball movement and capable perimeter shooting, kept it close. The Jets trailed 18-13 after Satoru Morita buried a 3 for Two Three, but tied it at 18-18 on a pair of Hayato Shirata free throws with 3:23 left in the first quarter.

With time running down, Chiba forward Reina Itakura delivered a nice pass to big man Gaston Moliva, who scored inside for the final points of the opening quarter. That made it 25-22, Chiba.

The Jets extended their lead to 37-26 early in the second quarter, but their Yamaguchi foe kept poised and made enough shots to keep it close.

Chiba led 45-40 at halftime.

Two Three was whistled for 25 personal fouls to Chiba's 15. The Jets' relentless attack-the-basket mind-set paid off.

"That's our style. That's how we play. We're leading the bj-league in free-throw attempts," Gardow said. "And it doesn't matter who we're playing. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but the second part of that is we need to make our free throws. We left a lot of them out there (against Two Three), and that can't happen for us to beat a good team like Hokkaido. We're going to have to attack, get them in foul trouble and get them into their bench and also convert our free throws for us to even have a chance to win."

After Monday's triumph, Gardow had a chance to reflect on the historic significance of Chiba's appearance in the Emperor's Cup.

"I'm really excited to be here from a Chiba Jets standpoint. I'm happy to represent the Chiba Jets and the bj-league," Gardow said. "And it's my hope that more bj-league teams can be a part of this in the future. And with that said, we're the ones that probably have to make the biggest adjustment to the rules, to the balls, to import players, to lineups. Everybody else can pretty much keep doing what they're doing. So for us to have to go through all those adjustments and still come out on top with a win, that's pretty good for us. We're very pleased."

Notes: The Jets are 10-12 and in sixth place in the bj-league's Eastern Conference standings. This week's competition gives the team's players a different venue and matchups to compete against. Several bj-league officials, including director of officials Kunio Kurata were spotted near courtside during the game against Two Three.

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Cowan shines in debut as decisions turn game

MELBOURNE, Australia — Test newcomer Ed Cowan believes Australia was on the verge of taking a commanding position against India on the first day of the first test until Mike Hussey fell victim to a dubious umpiring decision.

Boxing Day blast: Australia's David Warner hits a six during the first test against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday. AP

Hussey, struggling for runs of late and with his place in the team under threat, walked disgustedly from the field after umpire Marias Erasmus ruled him caught behind for a duck off Zaheer Khan, as television replays indicated the ball hit his shoulder.

Australia could not challenge the decision under the Decision Reviews System because it is not being used in this series after the Indian cricket board raised concerns over its accuracy.

Khan (2-49) had bowled Australia captain Michael Clarke for 31 off the previous ball, and Hussey's dismissal allowed India to take the initiative from the home side at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

"It was a massive moment in the game," said Cowan, who marked his test debut by top-scoring on the first day with 68 and shared a 113 partnership with Ricky Ponting. "We'd had a 100-run partnership, wrestled back momentum, then almost a 50-run partnership.

"We felt we were half an hour away from really nailing them and grinding them into the dust."

Brad Haddin and Peter Siddle shared an innings-steadying 63-run partnership to steer Australia to 277-6 at stumps.

Hussey showed the pressure of having his spot in the side under scrutiny as he let fly with a series of outbursts on his way off the field.

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Australia sags in middle after impressive Cowan debut

MELBOURNE, Australia — India and Australia shared an undulating first day of the first test Monday after an impressive debut by Australia opener Ed Cowan was marred by a middle-order collapse made worse by dubious umpiring decisions.

Cowan and former captain Ricky Ponting shared a century stand to put the hosts on top at the Melbourne Cricket Ground early, but India struck back with three wickets for just nine runs after tea to seize the initiative.

Brad Haddin and Peter Siddle then shared an unbeaten innings-steadying 63-run partnership to steer Australia to 277-6 at stumps.

The post-tea middle-order stumble was precipitated by India paceman Zaheer Khan (2-49), who bowled Australia captain Michael Clarke for 31 and had Mike Hussey controversially caught behind for a duck with the next ball.

Cowan, who top-scored with a watchful 68 from 177 balls, became the third wicket to fall in just 19 deliveries when caught behind off Ravichandran Ashwin as Australia slid from 205-3 to 214-6.

"It was a great day's cricket," Cowan said. "The bat had its moments, the ball had its moments, it was a good cricket wicket.

"They bowled really well in patches and we batted really well in patches, and we've got our noses ahead."

When Cowan fell, India carried all the momentum and it looked like Australia was in the midst of another of the giant batting collapses that had plagued the team in recent series.

However Haddin (21 not out) and Siddle (34 not out) put on a disciplined performance to put the game back on an even keel, having seen off the second new ball.

Hussey, struggling for runs of late and with his place in the team under threat, walked disgustedly from the field after being given out by umpire Marias Erasmus. Television replays indicated the ball hit Hussey's shoulder, but Australia could not challenge the decision under the Umpire Decision Reviews System because it is not being used in this series after the Indian cricket board raised concerns over its accuracy.

There was also a degree of doubt at Cowan's dismissal, while India suffered itself for its dogmatism over DRS, as Haddin was given not out in an lbw decision that was tough on the tourists.

"I've been a consumer of test cricket for so long and this is day one on the job for me, but as someone who loves their cricket and watches a lot of cricket, I just don't understand why it can't be handed down by the ICC for (the review system) to be uniform in all games," Cowan said.

Cowan combined for a 113-run stand with Ponting (62) after lunch, putting Australia temporarily in control after the loss of David Warner and Shaun Marsh to Umesh Yadav (3-96) in the morning session.

The 37-year-old Ponting, a veteran of 158 tests, has weathered persistent calls for his retirement this year and was selected for the Boxing Day test despite managing scores of just 5 and 16 in his previous match against New Zealand.

He answered the doubters with his 58th test half-century, prompting a standing ovation from 70,000-plus fans.

Ponting became Yadav's third victim when he was caught in slips by V.V.S. Laxman for 62 shortly before tea.

Yadav, playing in just his third test, said it was a great moment for him to be bowling to Ponting, but said every wicket was special.

"I just wanted to do the best for my country," he said.

Yadav took the first three wickets, having removed Warner and Marsh before the Cowan-Ponting partnership.

Warner, who carried his bat for an unbeaten 123 in just his second test earlier this month against New Zealand, smashed 37 off 49 deliveries before being caught by wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni off the first ball after a brief rain delay when attempting to hook Yadav.

Marsh faced just six balls before being caught for a duck by Virat Kohli at gully, celebrated by a sizable and vocal crowd of Indian supporters.

Cowan started his first test in cautious fashion, in contrast to Warner's dashing approach after Clarke won the toss and elected to bat on a green MCG wicket.

"As an opening batsman it's my job to try and set the game up," Cowan said. "I should have been a lot more nervous, but at the end of the day being relaxed really helped me through it."

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