In case no one noticed, it is worth noting here that India is not much of a cricket team.

In particular, its bowling attack is flaccid, its fielding slovenly, it has a forthright new captain who buzzes about making constant, meaningless changes intent upon showing who is in charge, and as a team it is next-to-useless outside of the subcontinent.

The Indians travel like prawns and have never won a series in this country, by the way, which makes it all the more peculiar that Steve Smith was so cautious with his tactics on the last day in Melbourne, content with a draw and the series win when there was so much more that could have been achieved with even a dollop of the gambler’s spirit, another half an hour or so of bowling.

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India is uncomfortable and there for the dominating – and what is more, Virat Kohli called heads at the toss of the coin on Tuesday in Sydney and lost that little duel with Smith.

Allowed to make first use of a Sahara-dry SCG pitch, the Australians duly filled their boots, reaching 2-348, in position for another kill.

David Warner made his third century of the series … Photo: Getty

Dynamic Dave Warner extracted his third century of the series, having kissed the spot where the late Phillip Hughes fell when he reached 63, the same score that Hughes had made that fateful day at the SCG.

Warner is a phenomenon, a man who can now lay a claim to be the best batsman in the world along with the likes of AB De Villiers and Hashim Amla and Steve Smith and (a fit) Michael Clarke.

Certainly, he is the most destructive and moreover, he does it with consistency. If the opposing bowlers do not get him early, they know they are in for some chasing, and he will score at close to run-a-ball speed as he did on Tuesday.

He and Chris Rogers were proactive from the first ball, smeared by Rogers for three runs through square leg. They bolted to 72 by the first drinks break, and barely a ball from the seamers moved off the straight and narrow.

Words can scarcely describe the lameness of India’s opening bowlers in that crucial opening half-hour; it is Kohli’s biggest challenge as the new skipper, exacerbated by the withdrawal of Ishant Sharma with an injury for this match and the fact his team missed three catches on a day and a surface that it could ill-afford such profligacy.

… though Chris Rogers fell just five short of one of his own. Photo: Getty

Doughty Rogers fell five runs short of a century having passed 50 for the fifth time in a row; yet again he was a beautiful foil to Warner’s barnstorming attack.

They put on 200 for the first wicket, their highest yet, and at better than four runs an over, but Ravi Ashwin changed the momentum when he started extracting turn from the strip, and before you could say Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the combative Ashwin had nicked out Warner for 101 (116 balls, 16 fours).

In the next over Rogers played Mohammed Shami on to his stumps on a very rare occasion when his ambition outstripped his capability, and his anguished look to the sky told a tale of missed opportunity.

Still, Rogers had been reprieved at 19 when Rahul snatched at a straight-forward slip catch, and at 90 he had also been missed by Suresh Raina sprinting back from slip to try to catch a top-edged sweep. He had his chances, and again he played well. In particular his driving was top-drawer, and the adopted Victorian surely will hold his place for the Ashes tour on account of doing his job.

Smith (82 not out) breezed in and looked ridiculously comfortable, a man at the top of his game. Test cricket is not meant to be easy, yet it looked like that for the captain.

There was rare success for India with Mohammed Shami grabbing the scalp of Rogers … Photo: Getty

All-rounder Shane Watson (61 not out) also has a huge opportunity on Wednesday to address the biggest blot on his game – the chronic inability to convert enough half-centuries into tons.

Of course, if he posts three figures his critics will scream dead rubber, but I tend to agree with Steve Waugh’s assessment some years ago that there are no dead rubbers, only Test matches worth winning.

The Australians certainly were proactive and they did not look bored or complacent.

… but Steve Smith and Shane Watson are set for big scores. Photo: Getty

Just ask Joe Burns if he is bored this week in his second Test, or Mitchell Starc, who gets yet another chance to stake his claim as a new-ball bowler.

As for Watson, the criticism of him is fair. Prior to the opening day at the SCG he has four centuries from 27 times past 50 in Test cricket, a 14.8 percent conversion rate.

For comparison, look to the best Australian player of recent years, Michael Clarke, who has more hundreds (28) than 50s (27), or to Warner and Smith, who are approaching 50 percent.

As late as the second-last ball of the day Watson was missed at slip by Ashwin off Yadav; his concentration is always highly questionable.

This bunsen burner of a pitch will be spinning sharply by Friday if not earlier, meaning that runs on the board are paramount.

By virtue of a third winning toss, and backed by a fine opening stand, Smith’s team should be able to cobble a win, albeit that 20 Indian wickets could be hard to extract from Tom Parker’s conservative pitch.

It’s advantage Australia, unequivocally.