Captain Ajinkya Rahane's fine century puts India in driver's seat
Melbourne: Ajinkya Rahane played a captain's knock with a workmanlike century that steered India into a dominant position and took the sting out of Australia's potent bowling attack 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 after bowling 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, 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, who was taken off the attack after just two overs with the shining red cherry.
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 ahead of Australia, in terms of runs as well as psychologically.
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) frittered away promising starts after doing all the hard work, but Jadeja was determined not to do anything of that sort.
Vihari fell to off-spinner Nathan Lyon while trying to sweep him from outside off-stump after he had added 52 runs for the fourth wicket with his captain.
In came Pant and despite the constant scrutiny around him, the wicketkeeper-batsman showed no nerves and confidently went about playing his strokes.
If Rahane managed to blunt the opposition bowlers with his defensive approach before opening up, Pant's aggression forced Australia to change their attacking tactic.
Rahane's first real authoritative shot was a cracking pull off Josh Hazlewood and there was also a sumptuous off-drive for a four. Balls directed on Rahane's pads were comfortably whipped through the mid-wicket or square-leg region and he was equally good while playing the drives and cuts.
At the other end, just when Pant was beginning to pose a treat to the hosts, Starc forced an edge to bring the match back on even keel. It was Paine's 150th dismissal and wicket number 250 for Starc.
The second session saw India score 99 runs after they managed just 54 in the first, during which they also lost two wickets in as many overs to the relentless Cummins.
Resuming on 36 for one, India started cautiously before losing both their overnight batsmen -- debutant Shubman Gill and the seasoned Cheteshwar Pujara -- in the space of 11 balls to reach 90 for three at lunch.
At lunch, Rahane was batting on 10 and giving him company was Vihari on 13 with India trailing by 105 runs.
The 21-year-old Gill impressed on his debut with a fluent 45 and played some fine shots during his 65-ball knock at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. While Pujara made 17, having faced 70 deliveries.
The first to go was Gill, who perished when he edged Cummins for Paine to take a regulation catch behind the stumps.
Australia were soon celebrating again as Cummins picked up the big wicket of Pujara after straightening him up with a brilliant delivery that angled in and moved just enough to induce an edge.
Paine, who lost a review after assuming that Gill had nicked the day's very first delivery, complemented his top fast bowler by completing a fine diving catch.
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Kohli inches closer to number one ODI batter spot in fresh ICC rankings
Dubai (PTI): India great Virat Kohli’s push to regain the top ODI batter spot received a boost as he moved up to the second place in the latest ICC rankings released on Wednesday.
Kohli hasn't held the No.1 position for ODI batters since he was displaced by Pakistan's Babar Azam in April 2021.
But the right-hander is closing in on the top spot following his superb recent efforts for India in the three-match ODI series against South Africa.
The 37-year-old was adjudged Player of the Series for his 302 runs across the three matches and he was duly rewarded on the latest set of rankings as he improved two places to second overall behind teammate Rohit Sharma.
Rohit amassed 146 runs across the series to hold on to his spot at the top of the rankings, with Kohli closing to within eight rating points on the back of his unbeaten innings of 65 not out in the series finale in Visakhapatnam.
It helped India clinch the three-match series 2-1.
India ODI skipper Shubman Gill retained his fifth spot despite missing the three-match series while stand-in skipper KL Rahul rose two places to 12th overall after making two fifties in the rubber.
Left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav moved up three spots to third in the bowlers' chart.
South Africa trio of Quinton de Kock (up three rungs to 13th), Aiden Markram (up four places to 25th) and Temba Bavuma (up three spots to 37th) also made gains on the rankings for ODI batters.
In the T20I rankings, the trio of Axar Patel (up two spots to 13th), Arshdeep Singh (up three places to 20th) and Jasprit Bumrah (up six rungs to 25th) made gains, following their comprehensive 101-run victory in Cuttack.
All of them had a good outing in the first T20I, taking two wickets apiece as India bowled out the Proteas for 74, their lowest-ever total in the shortest format.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, who recently scored his maiden ODI hundred against SA in Visakhapatnam, remained the top ranked Indian batter in the Test rankings at number eight while Gill and Rishabh Pant have moved a step each to 11th and 13th respectively.
Australian pacer Mitchell Starc has made a big jump on the latest rankings for Test bowlers led by Jasprit Bumrah.
The left-armer moved up three spots to third overall on the back of consecutive Player of the Match performances during the first two Ashes Tests against England.
Starc has 18 wickets from the two contests and finds himself moving to a new career-high rating and a best-ever ranking of third as a result.
The Indian trio of Mohammad Siraj (12th), Ravindra Jadeja (13th) and Kuldeep (14th) have all climbed up a spot.
England's lack of runs Down Under sees Harry Brook drop two places to fourth overall on the list for Test batters, with Kane Williamson (second) and Steve Smith (third) each gaining one spot behind Joe Root, who made a hundred in the Brisbane Test, at the top.
