Hayden and Gilchrist take the honours

Australia 331 for 6 (Hayden 111, Gilchrist 94*) against World XI
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Matthew Hayden took another giant stride on the road to batting redemption, and Adam Gilchrist produced another thrill-a-minute innings in a crisis situation as Australia put to bed ill-informed opinions about their cricket going into tailspin in the wake of the Ashes debacle last month. Hayden rode his luck to script a memorable 22nd Test century, and Gilchrist chiselled out a classy unbeaten 94 as Australia ended the first day of the Super Test at 331 for 6. The World XI rode on the skill of Muttiah Muralitharan - playing his first Test at the SCG in his 14th season of international cricket - to stay in touch, but even he had to cede the day's honours to two men who raged against light that had supposedly lost its incandescence in England.

Hayden and Gilchrist added 96 in even time either side of tea, and utterly transformed an innings that had been in the balance when Muttiah Muralitharan and Daniel Vettori engineered a slump from 154 for 2 to 163 for 4. Michael Clarke became the first Test batsmen to be given out caught at bat-pad after a referral to the third umpire, and when Simon Katich was run out by a combination of Graeme Smith's alertness at mid-on and a collision with Murali, Australia were tottering.

But as has happened so often in Australian cricket's recent past, the onset of a crisis was merely the signal for Gilchrist to come up with something special. With Hayden, who signed off from the Ashes with a pugnacious century at The Oval, also in belligerent mood, 73 runs were clattered in the hour after tea.

Hayden swept with impunity, combining beautifully timed and precisely placed hits to the fence with the odd miscue that feel short of the fielders. Gilchrist got off the mark with a hard snick through slip off Murali, and there was further agony for the close-in cordon when an edge off Vettori just evaded Rahul Dravid at slip.

The previous delivery had been warning enough, effortlessly carted over long-off for six, and when Andrew Flintoff and Murali were reintroduced in the closing stages of the session, Gilchrist said hello with a glorious square-cut and a searing cover-drive.

Hayden endured a couple of nervy moments as he neared three figures, with Mark Boucher grassing a sharp chance off Murali, but an imperious on-drive off Stephen Harmison sparked a standing ovation that was richly deserved. He celebrated with an exuberant pull for four, but departed soon after, undone by extra bounce from Murali.

Gilchrist, though, stroked the boundaries without a care, driving and cutting with panache as Flintoff and Murali toiled without success. The disappointing Kallis was carved up and when Vettori was brought back, there were three towering sixes into the stand at midwicket. Shane Watson batted beautifully around the cavalier, picking the gaps and defending stoutly as the sixth-wicket partnership realised 63 runs.

Hayden's regular partner in run fests had lasted only three balls after Ricky Ponting won the toss on another beautiful batting strip prepared by Tom Parker. With a healthy smattering of grass on the surface, there was encouragement for the new-ball bowlers too, and Harmison summoned up sheer pace and late swing to sneak the third ball of the match through Justin Langer's tentative prod.

With the ball darting around and Harmison showing marvellous control, both Hayden and Ponting fenced uneasily at deliveries that zoomed in at the pads or came within a coat of varnish of taking the outside edge. Unfortunately for Smith, Flintoff, Ashes exertions barely a month in the past, was well short of his probing best, and Ponting set the tone for the riposte with a withering pull for four.

Smith called on Kallis, his South African team-mate, to down the shutters but his lack of radar only opened the floodgates, as Hayden crunched two fours through the off side, and Ponting chipped in with a trademark pull that whizzed to the fence. He also played the shot of the morning, an exquisite cut down to third man when Flintoff got one to bounce appreciably, and then came dancing down the track to send a Murali delivery down to the sightscreen.

But Flintoff persevered and a stunning catch from Kallis cut short Ponting's gorgeous cameo of 46, giving local boy Clarke a first opportunity to cement his position at No. 4, where Damien Martyn had provided such sterling service. Clarke and Hayden took to Flintoff after lunch, and with Hayden unveiling the variety of sweeps that made him such a colossus on subcontinent pitches in his prime, the runs came at an alarming clip.

Slow-motion replays then condemned Clarke to an early shower, and Katich followed, but Smith - who captained with verve and nous that many thought beyond him - and his boys were emphatically denied by two men on a mission to restore their reputations. The manner in which they accomplished that was an ominous warning for those who dared imagine that the baggy green had lost its aura.

Justin Langer b Harmison 0 (0 for 1)
Full-length delivery pitched on off stump and swung back in enough to knock it out of the ground.

Ricky Ponting c Kallis b Flintoff 46 (73 for 2)
Pitched just short of a good length, and Ponting's attempt to guide it past the slip cordon was brilliantly pouched by Kallis diving to his right.

Michael Clarke c Sehwag b Vettori 39 (154 for 3)
Thin inside-edge onto pad, superbly taken at forward short leg. Third umpire confirmed Rudi Koertzen' suspicions.

Simon Katich run out (Smith) 0 (163 for 4)
Played to mid-on, and beaten to the bowling crease by a direct hit. A collision with the bowler didn't help.

Simon Katich run out (Smith) 0 (163 for 4)
Played to mid-on, and beaten to the bowling crease by a direct hit. A collision with the bowler didn't help.

Matthew Hayden c Kallis b Muralitharan 111 (260 for 5)
A simple catch to point after a mistimed cut to a delivery that reared up.

Shane Watson lbw Muralitharan 24 (323 for 6)
Trapped in front by Murali coming around the wicket. Cross-batted swipe that gave the third umpire little to think about.