Top dog Michael Clarke and Moises Henriques battle to save first innings in India Phil Hughes in action before his dismissal on the opening morning of the first Test between Australia and India. Shane Watson and David Warner have consolidated after Australia lost two wickets in the first session. AUSTRALIA's top dog, Michael Clarke, and its newest pup, Moises Henriques, have launched a rearguard effort after besieged Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin celebrated a five-wicket haul in a pulsating start to the first Test. At tea on day one, the tourists are 5/215, with Clarke (45no) and Test debutant Henriques (29no) producing a sixth-wicket half-century stand to stabilise the innings after Australia had slumped to 5/153. Check out the Fox Sports scoreboard. In the process, Clarke took another step towards greatness, leapfrogging the iconic Sir Donald Bradman (6996) into Australia's top 10 all-time runscorers when he reached eight with a single off Ashwin (5-51). Within overs, the Test skipper became the 10th Australian in Test history to reach 7000 runs as Henriques showed impressive poise at the other end to keep the tourists out of trouble. But Clarke had a lucky escape just before tea when the classy No.5, on 39, appeared to either glove or get an inside edge to an Ashwin delivery that flew to Cheteshwar Pujara at short leg. With no video review system available in this series, the Indians were left to rue their inability to call on technology to check if Clarke hit the ball. But the hoopla surrounding Clarke's passing of The Don was tempered by a middle-order collapse as underfire Indian spinner Ashwin ran riot on a deck so dusty and clay-like it resembled Roland Garros. Ashwin served it up to the Australians, with the right-arm offie celebrating a five-wicket haul just after lunch on day one as he ran through Ed Cowan (29), Phil Hughes (6), Shane Watson (28), David Warner (59) and Matt Wade (12). The sight of Ashwin bowling with verve and venom was an unpalatable image for an Australian side banking on a four-man pace attack to draw first blood in the four-Test series. At age 31, Clarke has time on his side to thump 10,000 Test runs. And if he maintains his desire, commitment and consistency, there is every chance he could surpass Ricky Ponting (13,378) and become Australia's greatest Test runscorer. For now, though, he would be content keeping Australia in the hunt in this Chennai Test. Given the clay-like appearance of the wicket, the toss was crucial and after calling successfully, Clarke had no hesitation choosing to bat first. Just before Ed Cowan and Dave Warner took block, the tourists gathered to honour debutant Henriques, Australia's 432nd Test cricketer who was presented with his baggy-green by former Test wicketkeeper Steve Rixon. The Australians began their innings with purpose, with Cowan starting more briskly than Warner, who looked a touch rusty early after limited net preparation due to a fractured left thumb. Cowan was looking more assured, as evidenced by his thumping six off Harbhajan, but he departed just balls later, stumped by MS Dhoni attempting to dominate Ashwin to leave Australia 1/64. The tourists then slumped to 2/72 when Hughes played on attempting to cut Ashwin. Watson and Warner guided the tourists safely to 2/126, but after lunch the duo and Wade departed in quick succession to leave Australia reeling at 5/153. Ashwin trapped Watson lbw from just the first over of the second session before doing the same to Warner just as the aggressive opener had his first offshore ton in sight. And when Wade became the third lbw victim midway through the second session, Australia were left crying out for Clarke to produce the type of heroics befitting Bradman. We are unable to publish photographs from the Test series in India due to a dispute between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and international news organisations.The BCCI has refused access to Test venues to established picture agencies including our supplier Getty Images. News Limited considers the BCCI action to be a strike against freedom of the press.