David Warner was run out for 57 on the final delivery before lunch as Australia reached 2-97 on day one of the first Test against Sri Lanka at Bellerive Oval.

The mix-up between Warner and Phil Hughes (27 not out) was a shattering blow for the home side who had fought back from 1-18 to look in control of proceedings in overcast conditions.

Skipper Michael Clarke won the toss on Friday morning and chose to bat on a green-tinged pitch despite a series of low scores for teams batting first in recent Sheffield Shield matches in Hobart.

Warner lost his opening partner in the sixth over when Ed Cowan (four) top-edged a pull shot to mid-on from the bowling of Chanaka Welegedara.

Hughes, the former opener who has returned to the crucial No.3 position after a year-long absence from the Test team, has hit three fours from 59 balls.

While Hughes looked composed in his first Test for a year, Warner was the player who appeared set for a big innings after crunching eight fours in his 89-ball knock.

Cowan had made a tentative start and was dropped at third slip from the first ball that he faced and the second delivery of the day, bowled by Nuwan Kulasekara.

Tasmania’s Cowan almost fell for golden ducks in consecutive Tests after his first-ball failure against South Africa in Perth.

While Cowan enjoyed the best series of his short career against South Africa, scoring 228 runs, the 30-year-old left-hander’s average has dropped to under 33 in his 11th match following Friday’s failure with the bat.

Fourth-gamer Shaminda Eranga was introduced in the 10th over of the day and Hughes shook off any nerves about his Test comeback by blasting two superb cover drives to the boundary in the seamer’s first over.

Hughes and Warner registered their half-century stand but Warner had a stroke of luck on 37 when he inside-edged a ball from Welegedara to the boundary.

In Welegadara’s next over, Warner edged through the vacant third slip to move to 49 and reached his half-century next ball with a pull shot for two.

Former opener Hughes returns to the side at No.3, replacing Australia’s all-time leading runscorer Ricky Ponting who has retired.

Tasmania’s Ponting, 37, was given a lap of honour at the lunch interval on Friday before heading to Melbourne to play for BBL team Hobart Hurricanes on Saturday night.