28 December,2020 05:28 AM IST | Melbourne | Gaurav Joshi
Ajinkya Rahane hits one on the off side to bring up his century on Day Two against Australia at Melbourne yesterday. Pic/Getty Images
Ajinkya Rahane lit up a gloomy day here on Sunday as a stand-in captain and batsman determined to pull his side of the abyss they fell in a little more than a week ago in Adelaide.
In response to Australia's 195, Rahane (batting 104) guided India to 277 for five with Ravindra Jadeja at the other end on 40.
As soon as Shubman Gill was dismissed at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), all the attention turned to the Indian dugout. There sat Hanuma Vihari with his pads on. Leading up to the match it was assumed that Vihari would bat at No. 4 because he had done so in both the tour matches. But Vihari didn't get up and before you knew it, Ajinkya Rahane had already sprinted into the middle.
Six hours later, with showers sweeping across the MCG and litter flying all over the place, Rahane returned to the dressing room unbeaten on 104.
On the previous tour of Australia in 2019-19, Rahane struggled to find the right tempo in a few innings. He would either be too defensive or extremely frantic. But on Sunday, he played each ball on merit, finding the right time to be flamboyant and cautious.
With India opting to play Rishabh Pant at No. 6, Rahane understood that to maximise Pant's ability, he had to ensure the dynamic 'keeper came into bat against an oldish ball and a worn-out Australia bowling attack.
So initially, whilst batting with Vihari he devised to bide his time and trust his technique. In the 52-run stand with Vihari, Rahane scored 21 from 61 balls. It was slow going, but the captain was setting the game up for his team.
Once Pant came to the crease and started scoring freely, so did Rahane. He started using his feet to Nathan Lyon, pulled Josh Hazlewood with ease and jumped back to punch Pat Cummins through point. In the 57-run stand with Pant, Rahane scored 28 from 47 balls. It was in this period of play, Rahane realised India needed to cash in. It was brilliant game management and awareness.
With Jadeja at the crease, Rahane knew he had a partner in crime that was quick between the wickets. So, he defended the good balls with soft hands and pinched singles at ease.
But it was Rahane's calculated aggression against the second new ball which proved to be a masterstroke. The Indian skipper was on 73 and India's lead was only 37 when Tim Paine tossed the new ball to Starc. It was gloomy, it was dark and the lights had to be turned on. Rahane could have easily opted to go into survival mode, but instead counter-attacked.
It took him just 28 balls to move from 73 to his 12th Test century. The minute he rocked back and flayed Cummins to the boundary, Rahane had somewhat evaporated the darkness caused by the 36 all out in Adelaide.
99.00
Ajinkya Rahane's average while leading India in Tests. The Mumbai man, playing his third Test as captain, has aggregated an impressive 198 runs
