14 SRINAGAR | December 28, 2020, Monday
SPORTS
Captain Rahane's fine century
puts India in driver's seat
Melbourne, Dec 27: Ajinkya
Rahane
played a
captain's
knock, a
workman-
like cen-
tury that
steered
India into
a domi-
nant position and took the
sting out of Australia's potent
bowling a
ack in the second
Test here on Sunday.
Trailing 0-1 in the four-
match series, India ended the
second day at 277 for five for a
handy 82-run lead aƒer bowl-
ing out Australia for 195 at the
Melbourne Cricket Ground.
At stumps, which was
brought early owing to rain,
Rahane was going strong on 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, aƒer a fine
147 during the 2014 tour.
A day aƒer 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.
"This knock was all about
patience, more importantly
when you are playing such a
high quality pace a
ack, some-
times you get into shell and not
able to score runs, and the way
Ajinkya bhai played, it was such
a magnificent knock to watch
from outside," Shubahman Gill
said during a virtual press con-
ference.
"How to see off those
tough periods, he made it
sure that he put the loose balls
away."
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 Mitch-
        CMYK        
Greater Kashmir
ell Starc, who was taken off the with his defensive approach an edge to bring the match back
a
ack aƒer just two overs with before opening up, Pant's on even keel. It was Paine's 150th
the shining red cherry. aggression forced Australia to dismissal and wicket number 250
That particular phase was change their a
acking tactic. for Starc.
crucial from both the team's Rahane's first real authorita- The second session saw
point of view and by not losing tive shot was a cracking pull off India score 99 runs aƒer they
a wicket to the second new ball, Josh Hazlewood and there was managed just 54 in the first,
India ensured they finished the also a sumptuous off-drive for a during which they also lost two
day ahead of Australia, in terms of four. Balls directed on Rahane's wickets in as many overs to the
runs as well as psychologically. pads were comfortably whipped relentless Cummins.
Rahane got another through the mid-wicket or square- Resuming on 36 for one,
reprieve when substitute field- leg region and he was equally India started cautiously before
er Travis Head put one down good while playing the drives and losing both their overnight bats-
aƒer diving forward from gully, cuts. men -- debutant Shubman Gill
but that was aƒer he had got to At the other end, just when and the seasoned Cheteshwar
the three-figure mark. Pant was beginning to pose a Pujara -- in the space of 11 balls
To start with, Rahane was treat to the hosts, Starc forced to reach 90 for three at lunch. PTI
more watchful that he had ever
been but as the day progressed,
he went on to play some sumptu-
ous shots and one of his day's
best was the classic off-drive
against Pat Cummins.
Australian speedster
Mitchell Starc rued the chances
his team squandered.
"It (the knock by Rahane)
was pre
y good. He absorbed
some pressure there and sort
of steadied the ship for them,
at (a time) when they were still
behind our score," the Austra-
lian pacer said.
"He (Rahane) has ba
ed
really well there, he took his
chances and we probably could
have got him out three or four or
maybe five times before he got
a hundred, but he's run his luck
there and scored a good hun-
dred. Well done to him."
Earlier, Rishabh Pant (29) DECEMBER & JAN FARE AVAILABILITY
and Hanuma Vihari (21) frit-
tered away promising starts Jammu-Srinagar Defence
aƒer doing all the hard work, Srinagar-Jammu Fare also
but Jadeja was determined not Available
to do anything of that sort. Srinagar-Mumbai
Vihari fell to off-spinner Srinagar-Chandigarh
Nathan Lyon while trying to
sweep him from outside off- Chandigarh-Srinagar
stump aƒer he had added 52
runs for the fourth wicket with
Srinagar-Delhi
his captain. IMPORTANT NOTE: DON'T MAKE ANY CALL ON OUR OLD
In came Pant and despite the
constant scrutiny around him, the NUMBERS AS THEY NO LONGER BELONGS TO MUSAIB TRAVELS
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