Ajinkya Rahane played a captain’s knock with a memorable century that steered India into a dominant position and take the sting out of Australia’s potent bowling attack in the second Test in Melbourne on Sunday.
Trailing 0-1 in the four-match series, India ended the second day at 277/5 for a handy 82-run lead after bowling out Australia for 195 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Stumps on day 2
| Batsmen | Runs | Balls | 4s | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mayank Agarwal | lbw Mitchell Starc | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Shubman Gill | c Tim Paine b Pat Cummins | 45 | 65 | 8 |
| Cheteshwar Pujara | c Tim Paine b Pat Cummins | 17 | 70 | 1 |
| Ajinkya Rahane | not out | 104 | 200 | 12 |
| Hanuma Vihari | c Steve Smith b Nathan Lyon | 21 | 66 | 2 |
| Rishabh Pant | c Tim Paine b Mitchell Starc | 29 | 40 | 3 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | not out | 40 | 104 | 1 |
Stumps on day 2
| Bowlers | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Economy | Maidens |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell Starc | 18.3 | 61 | 2 | 3.29 | 3 |
| Pat Cummins | 22 | 71 | 2 | 3.22 | 7 |
| Josh Hazlewood | 21 | 44 | 0 | 2.09 | 6 |
| Nathan Lyon | 18 | 52 | 1 | 2.88 | 2 |
| Cameron Green | 12 | 31 | 0 | 2.58 | 1 |
Follow Scroll.in’s coverage of the India’s tour of Australia here.
Day 1 recap here and day 2 blog here.
Watch: A sensational delivery by Cummins, an equally good catch by Paine accounts for Pujara at MCG
At stumps, which was brought early owing to rain, Rahane was going unbeaten 104 and giving him company was Ravindra Jadeja on 40, the two having added what might prove to be a game-changing 104-run partnership for the sixth wicket.
This was Rahane’s 12th Test hundred and his second at the iconic venue, after a fine 147 during the 2014 tour.
A day after earning rich praise for his tactical acumen while marshalling the bowlers, Rahane shone bright with the bat and was spot on with his reading of match situations during his stay in the middle.
Rahane got a life when Steve Smith dropped him on 73 at second slip in Australia’s first over with the second new ball, the unlucky bowler being Mitchell Starc.
That particular phase was crucial from both the team’s point of view and by not losing a wicket to the second new ball, India ensured they finished the day well ahead of Australia. Rahane got another reprieve when substitute fielder Travis Head put one down after diving forward from gully, but that was after he had got to the three-figure mark.
To start with, Rahane was more watchful that he had ever been but as the day progressed, he went on to play some sumptuous shots and one of his day’s best was the classic off-drive against Pat Cummins.
Earlier, Rishabh Pant (29) and Hanuma Vihari (21) fell after promising starts. But, trusted with the responsibility of batting at No 7 to prop up the middle order, Jadeja played a crucial innings.
For Australia, Cummins was the star with a sensational spell in the morning but sloppiness on the field proved costly.
(With PTI inputs)
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