Michael Clarke reaches brave century in Adelaide Test

Adelaide: Michael Clarke fought off back pain to reach his century against the odds and put Australia in a strong position in the first Test against India on Wednesday.

The Australian skipper, who retired hurt on 60 on the opening day with lower back trouble, returned to the crease to notch his 28th Test hundred on the rain-disrupted second day.

Clarke brought up his ton with a single off his pads, taking off his helmet and kissing its emblem in celebration, to the acclaim of the Adelaide Oval crowd in the wake of the Phillip Hughes tragedy.

The captain played a leading role in the days after Hughes`s death, in which he read a tearful tribute at the funeral and was one of the pallbearers.

Test team-mate Hughes died after he was struck by a bouncer in a domestic game late last month.

Clarke, who needed painkillers to get to the wicket on Wednesday, reached his three figures off 127 balls with 15 boundaries.

He continued his great scoring record at Adelaide Oval with five hundreds and two double-centuries, coming into this Test match with a 98.38 ground average.

It was the third century of the Australian first innings, with Steve Smith getting his fifth Test ton and David Warner hitting 145 on the first day.

Shortly after tea, Australia were 446 for six with Smith on 132 and Clarke 105.