Australia are in real need of a captain’s knock from Steve Smith, with the hosts 3-121 at tea on day two of the second Test against India.

Smith is unbeaten on six at the Gabba, where the second session ended with Chris Rogers caught behind down the leg side on 55.

Australia scored freely and quickly after bowling India out for 408, when lunch was taken on Thursday.

But it came at the expense of three wickets – David Warner and Shane Watson both dismissed after boundary-laden starts.

Warner lashed 29 off 28 balls and looked on track for another big score but his mistimed pull ended with Ravichandran Ashwin claiming a skied catch a few steps back from first slip.

Watson raced to 25 from 29 deliveries, but fell to Ashwin’s offspin when he tried to find the rope and instead provided a sharp low catch to Shikhar Dhawan at mid-on.

Rogers, whose position at the top of the order is in some doubt after a recent barren run, was more productive than usual.

The 37-year-old brought up his half-century with a 10th boundary, cutting a short ball from Ashwin to the fence.

India captain MS Dhoni employed an 8-1 field to Rogers earlier in his dig, but the veteran offered up few loose strokes.

That was until the 25th over, when recalled quick Umesh Yadav snared his second wicket.

Warner and Rogers had attacked the new ball beautifully, with Ishant Sharma’s three-over spell costing 26 runs.

Sharma was then replaced by Yadav, who created the initial breakthrough.

Earlier on Thursday, Josh Hazlewood’s five-wicket haul spearheaded an Australian fightback.

Hazlewood was unable to bowl late on day one due to whole-body cramps, team physio Alex Kountouris explaining the debutant “just couldn’t function”.

But the NSW paceman immediately returned to the attack on day two, swinging the ball well to remove Ajinkya Rahane, Ashwin and Dhoni.

Hazlewood finished with figures of 5-68, becoming the 33rd Australian to snare a five-for on Test debut.

Dhoni and Ashwin put on a 57-run stand, but India otherwise offered little resistance after resuming day two on 4-311.