Usman Khawaja justified his quick return to the Australian Test side with a well-crafted century on the first day of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.
Khawaja made 144 and shared a 258-run partnership with opener Joe Burns, who made 128, with Australia in command at 3-345 at stumps on day one.
The 29-year-old came to the crease after David Warner holed out to Marlon Samuels off the bowling of Jerome Taylor with the score at 1-29.
The composed left-hander reached his century with a quick single from a misfield soon after tea and was finally dismissed when he got a thin edge to a leg-side delivery from the bowling of Taylor.
Burns reached his own ton just two balls earlier from the same Jomel Warrican over, the 58th of the day.
"I'll enjoy this moment; a hundred on my first Boxing Day and a 250-odd run partnership with Burnsy," Khawaja said.
"I couldn't have asked for a lot more on day one ... I think we're both probably disappointed that we didn't get massive (hundreds) but we've done what we needed to do.
"Hopefully (we've) set up this first innings for Australia to get a big, big total tomorrow and really drive this game."
Khawaja missed two Tests after he injured a hamstring while fielding in the second Test against New Zealand in Perth.
He made a dominant 109 not out for Big Bash League side Sydney Thunder after returning to fitness and forced selectors into a tough decision.
Shaun Marsh scored 182 in the first Test against the West Indies in Hobart but made way for Khawaja, who was treated for a stiff back late in his innings on Saturday but reported no trouble with his hamstrings.
Having scored three centuries in his past three Test matches, Khawaja is reaping the rewards of his hard work after suffering a huge blow in December of last year when he sustained a serious knee injury that sidelined him for several months.
"I wasn't in a very good place this time last year - I was just trying to stay positive," he said.
"I knew I wasn't going to play cricket for a while and wasn't expecting in my wildest dreams that I'd be playing for Australia again let alone playing in the Boxing Day Test.
"So I'm grateful every time I go out and play now."
AUSTRALIA'S HIGHEST SECOND-WICKET STANDS AT MCG
298 - Ian Chappell and Bill Lawry v West Indies in 1968
274 - Don Bradman and Bill Woodfull v South Africa in 1932
258 - Joe Burns and Usman Khawaja v West Indies in 2015
KHAWAJA'S INCREDIBLE RUN OF TONS
*144 v West Indies in second Test at MCG
*109no v Melbourne Stars in BBL match at MCG
*121 v New Zealand in second Test at WACA
*174, 9no v New Zealand in first Test at Gabba
TOTAL: 557 runs at average of 185.67.
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