Indians well and truly on front foot

INTENT was the key to an Indian batting performance led by captain Ajinkya Rahane‘s second MCG hundred, which helped the tourists take control of the No.1 Test bowling attack in the world.

Opener Shubman Gill, who made 45 in a polished debut Test innings, lauded his captain for showing the want to score, which was the cornerstone of three big Indian partnerships on day two of the Boxing Day Test, one that put India 82 runs in front.

“The way he was so patient and, more importantly, when you are playing such a highquality bowling attack, sometimes you go into your shell and are not able to score runs,” Gill said.

“But the way Rahane played, it was such a magnificent knock to watch.

“He waited and watched, and was making sure he put all the bad balls away.”

Reduced to 3-64 when Pat Cummins took two quick wickets in his blistering early spell, India had both Rahane and Hanuma Vihari on zero, needing to mount a fightback.

They did that and wrested control of the game by doing exactly what Australia couldn’t — forge partnerships.

Rahane put on 52 with Vihari, then 57 with Rishabh Pant, before his unbroken 104-run stand with Ravi Jadeja.

Rahane and Jadeja stole all the momentum the Aussies were hoping to create when the home side took the new ball late in the day.

India was already 5-232 off its first 80 overs before the duo plundered 41 more runs off the next nine overs by the Australian quicks.

Jadeja clipped the first ball with the new rock from Mitchell Starc off his pads for three, then Rahane took Cummins for eight runs from the next over to establish clear dominance.

India made 187 runs across the second two sessions on day two alone, just shy of Australia’s first-innings total.