Victoria 5 for 151 (Harris 58, Pucovski 54) trail South Australia 366 (Drew 130, Weatherald 122, Boland 4-61) by 215 runs
Marcus Harris warmed up for next month's tour of Pakistan with a confident half-century for Victoria, but it was South Australia who held the upper hand at the midway point of the Sheffield Shield match in Adelaide.
Wickets in the final session saw Victoria throw away a bright start to their innings to be 5 for 151, still 215 runs in arrears of the home side's 366.
Harris and Will Pucovski, who is playing in his first first-class match since his Test debut against India in January 2021, continued their strong record as an opening pair, looking comfortable in putting on 110 on a flat Adelaide Oval pitch.
Left out of the fifth Ashes Test in Hobart when Usman Khawaja made an irresistible case to be retained after his twin hundreds, Harris didn't offer any chances on his Shield return until miscuing a pull shot to be caught at deep square-leg for 58 as South Australia's short-ball approach paid off
Pucovski's 123-ball innings, which follows another bout of concussion which kept him out of the first part of the season, came to an end when he was caught behind off David Grant for 54 as he toe-ended a pull although he did not seem thrilled with the decision. Peter Handscomb, Jonathan Merlo and Matt Short soon followed as Victoria lost 4 for 15.
Earlier, Daniel Drew posted a maiden century in just his second Shield outing but it was a nervous experience for the rookie. He resumed on 96 only to be tied down for the best part of three quarters of an hour before reaching three figures and ending on 130.
Ashes hero Scott Boland was at his frugal best returning 4 for 61 from 28 overs though he was unable to add to his first-day wicket haul after South Australia recommenced on 5 for 280.
Twenty-one-year-old fast bowler Mitch Perry overshadowed him by taking three of the five wickets to fall. Drew set about securing quick runs after reaching his hundred before being caught behind off Perry as South Australia lost 4 for 19 at the back end of their innings.