David Warner paid tribute to Phillip Hughes as Australia made an emphatic start to the fourth Test against India, powering to 0-123 at lunch on day one in Sydney.

Chris Rogers (52no) and Warner (63no) dominated the morning session following Steve Smith’s decision to bat first at the SCG.

Warner made a poignant tribute to Hughes upon reaching 63 not out shortly before lunch, removing his helmet and kissing the turf.

Warner was fielding for NSW at the venue last November when his close friend was felled by a bouncer while on the same score.

The hosts raced to 0-39 after five overs on Tuesday, with Umesh Yadav’s two-over opening spell costing 18 runs.

Yadav’s replacement Mohammed Shami was far more threatening, beating Warner’s bat with his first delivery and finding a thick edge in the same over that flew between slips and gully.

Shami produced the only chance of the session in his following over, but KL Rahul put down a regulation catch at second slip when Rogers was on 19.

Warner continued to feast on anything short and wide until he had a nervous moment on 62, popping up a ball towards Rahul at point.

Rahul, who made an underwhelming debut at the MCG, was late to move and didn’t get to the leather in time.

A terrific ball from offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin almost rattled Rogers’ stumps when the 37-year-old was on 48, but the openers were otherwise in complete control.

The tourists relinquished the Border-Gavaskar trophy in Melbourne, where a draw gave Australia an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-Test series.

Virat Kohli, appointed captain last week following MS Dhoni’s retirement from Test cricket, wasted little time in stamping his authority on the team.

Shikhar Dhawan, who reportedly clashed with Kohli in the Gabba changerooms, was dropped among four changes.

If selected, Dhawan would have been fielding at second slip when Rogers was reprieved by Rahul in the eighth over.

Michael Clarke, calling the game for the Nine Network, wondered why Kohli wasn’t there in his place.

“I wonder if he’s got a hand injury or he doesn’t have the confidence to be in there,” Clarke said.

“But it’s really strange, particularly as captain, for him not to be in the slips cordon.”

Kohli exchanged sharp words with Warner early in the session, but it was nothing compared to Kohli’s heated confrontations with Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson in Melbourne.