Mitchell Johnson struck Virat Kohli on the helmet in a short-pitched assault as India reached 2-119 at lunch on day three of the first Test.

Australian skipper Michael Clarke declared before the start of play at Adelaide Oval on Thursday, with Steve Smith finishing 162 not out and Australia boasting a total of 7-517.

India opener Murali Vijay provided stubborn resistance in response, only to be undone by Johnson in the penultimate over before the meal break.

Johnson delivered a sharp three-over spell at the end of the morning session.

Vijay wore one bouncer on the body and ducked under another before departing on 53, he was caught on the back foot and caught behind.

The next delivery shook up both Kohli and Johnson, with the left-armer finding the badge of Kohli’s helmet.

The Australians, with thoughts of Phillip Hughes’ desperately unlucky death in their minds, rushed to Kohli’s aid.

But India’s stand-in skipper quickly got on with business, shooing them away to reach lunch on three alongside Cheteshwar Pujara (34no).

Clarke fielded despite the flare-up of his chronic injury, shifting out of the slips to better manage the three degenerative discs in his lower back.

The captain had to wait until the eighth over for Ryan Harris to engineer the first breakthrough.

Shikhar Dhawan was out driving for 25, the inside edge disturbing his stumps.

Harris, playing his first Test since undergoing major knee surgery in March, delivered an outstanding opening spell.

The 35-year-old maintained a consistent off-stump line, finishing with 1-6 from five overs to tie down the tourists.

Australia put down two tough chances.

The most costly was the flying edge offered by Vijay on 11 in the 14th over.

Smith and Mitch Marsh, fielding at second and third slip respectively in a reshuffled cordon due to Clarke’s exit, both flung out their arms.

Marsh got his fingertips to the leather but couldn’t reel it in.

A diving Brad Haddin also failed to hang onto an inside edge from Dhawan when the left-hander was on one in the third over.

Dhawan struck three boundaries in the same over from Johnson and attacked the new ball until he was dismissed by Harris.

Vijay and Pujara continued to play positive cricket, with their 81-run partnership boosted by some swift running between the wickets.