India's woe continued in Adelaide as unbeaten centuries from Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke helped Australia mount a strong total on day one of the fourth Test.

The home side overcame an early wobble to make the most of Clarke's victory at the toss, which allowed them to pile on 335 runs for the loss of three wickets over the course of Tuesday's play.

Both current and former captain looked in good nick from their first ball, displaying excellent foot movement to negate any seam or spin, and went to stumps with Ponting on 137 and Clarke on 140 after batting through two full sessions.

The unbroken 251-run partnership took its toll on India, who shaded the morning session but looked increasingly discouraged as the day wore on and the sense of deja vu grew stronger.

Ishant Sharma bowled consistently well in the 37-degree heat, but was unfortunate to see a couple of Clarke edges not go to hand.

The first flew through a gap between a wide slip and wicketkeeper after stand-in skipper Virender Sehwag had thinned out the slip cordon, while the second came moments after the second new ball had been taken as VVS Laxman failed to take a one-handed chance to his right at second slip.

In scenes reminiscent of their huge partnership in Sydney, where Clarke scored 329 and Ponting made 130 in an innings victory, the pair were otherwise untroubled and scored at a good lick as they hauled Australia from a shaky 84 for three to a position of total dominance.

With good batting conditions expected, it was no surprise to see Clarke bat first after winning the toss, but the guile of Ravichandran Ashwin saw the hosts go to lunch on 98 for three.

Ashwin was introduced as early as the fourth over by Sehwag, who is filling in for the banned Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and the offspinner did not disappoint. Two maidens quickly unsettled David Warner, and with the batsman's rhythm upset he was trapped lbw by Zaheer Khan.

Ashwin then outfoxed the out-of-form Shaun Marsh, bowling him through the gate with the one that goes straight on, before luring Ed Cowan into a fateful drive shortly before lunch.

Cowan had been the mainstay throughout the first session, quietly accumulating on his way to 30 before he was well caught by VVS Laxman at short extra cover after being beaten in the flight.

However India's hopes of inflicting the sort of damage seen here in the Ashes last year, when England bowled Australia out on the opening day at the Adelaide Oval, were slowly eroded in a second session in which they were unable to stop the flow of runs.

Ponting moved from 43 at lunch to 91 at tea before going to his 41st Test ton in 164 balls, while Clarke was even more ruthless as he followed Ponting to three figures moments later, having needed just 133 balls to record his fifth Test century since taking over the captaincy last year.

The pair's scoring slowed as a long, hot day drew to a close and thoughts shifted to the second day, when Australia will have the opportunity to bat India out of the match.

Australia are gunning for a series whitewash, having taken a 3-0 lead in the series thus far, and had already confirmed their team on Monday with paceman Mitchell Starc falling out of the side that won so handsomely at Perth to be replaced by offspinner Nathan Lyon.

India, meanwhile, recalled Ashwin as expected in place of Vinay Kumar, while Wriddhiman Saha played his second Test after coming in for captain and wicketkeeper Dhoni, who picked up a one-match suspension over poor over-rates.