Chris Rogers fell agonisingly short of the hundred he has craved in his final Test on home soil at the SCG on Tuesday, as he compiled his fifth successive half-century against India.
The 37-year-old Rogers has acknowledged his 20th Test will likely be his last in Australia and after compiling scores of 55, 55, 57 and 69 in the last two Tests in Brisbane and Melbourne, he was desperate for triple figures in the fourth and final Test of the summer.
After his opening partner David Warner (101) had compiled his own ton, Rogers looked destined to follow him.
But Rogers was dismissed for 95 just seven minutes after Warner.
Rogers attempted to force the ball through the off side off the back foot but played on to be bowled on the fifth ball of the 46th over from Mohammed Shami to leave Australia at 2-204, almost mid way through the second session.
It was tough luck for the stubborn left-hander, but Warner said Rogers could take some solace in the duo's biggest opening partnership.
"The thing I'm most proud of is actually putting up a double century partnership with Bucky, our first one," Warner said.
"We bat very well together and I think that's the highlight today for me.
"I looked at his numbers the other day - 70 first-class hundreds and over 20,000 first-class runs. It's a fantastic career.
"He's batting the best he has in the last 18 months that I've seen."
Rogers was dropped by rookie Lokesh Rahul when he was 19 and went on to make the Indians pay on a flat deck as Australia ended up 2-348 at stumps with Shane Watson (61) and Steve Smith (82) the not out batsmen.
Ravichandran Ashwin was the pick of a below-par effort from India's bowlers. He finished the day with figures of 1-88 off 28 overs.
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