Steve Smith battled through much of the morning session to help Australia to 104-3 after India struck early on the second day of the third Test in Brisbane on Sunday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
After all but 13.2 overs of the first day were washed out on Saturday, the match remained evenly poised at the first break on day two.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Smith was not-out 25 off 68 balls, with a far more fluid Travis Head alongside him on 20 from just 35 deliveries.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Australia resumed at 28-0 and lost the wickets of Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney and Marnus Labuschagne on a hot and humid day.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Indian bowlers, who were wasteful in their brief outing on Saturday, were much tighter and troubled all the Australian batsmen.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Khawaja, who has been struggling for runs at the top of the order, had a torrid time playing and missing at the dangerous Jasprit Bumrah.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He added just two to his overnight 19 before Bumrah finally drew the faintest of edges through to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant to leave Australia 31-1.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Bumrah struck again in his next over when McSweeney (9) edged a simple catch to Virat Kohli at second slip.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Labuschagne and Smith set about settling the innings, but with both players well below their best heading into the Test, the scoring rate was slow against the disciplined Indian attack.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Labuschagne faced 55 balls on his way to making 12 when he uncharacteristically went for an expansive drive off Nitish Kumar Reddy, only to get a thick edge to Kohli, who took a sharp catch at second slip.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Head, who scored a magnificent century in the second Test in Adelaide, joined Smith at the crease to see them safely to lunch.<\/p>\r\n\r\n