KEY MOMENTS FROM DAY 2
A brief of how Day Two of the third Test between India and Australia panned out at Ranchi:
A DAY WITHOUT KOHLI
He came down the stairs, walked up to the players, had a brief chat with Anil Kumble and selector Devang Gandhi and left after waving to the crowd. Virat Kohli’s presence on the ground was a blink-and-miss affair on Friday as he continued to stay confined to the dressing room. But, given by how much Australia have put on the board, Kohli needs to be back to full fitness sooner than later.
STEVE SMITH THE MENTOR
Steve Smith missed out on a well-deserved double century but his 178 was worth its weight in gold because of the way he shepherded his team despite the odd hiccups. Smith’s was an almost chanceless innings with not a single six. But with 17 boundaries, 85 singles, 11 twos and a three, he showed the virtues of playing risk-free cricket and building partnerships.
MATTHEW WADE’S BREEZY 37
Matthew Wade came in at a time Australia were probably looking forward to some fireworks from centurion Glenn Maxwell. Wade is no Maxwell but he gave the momentum needed to take Australia close to the 400-run mark. He used his feet well to the spinners and swept often to breeze to a 50-ball 37 before being done in by Ravindra Jadeja.
JADEJA’S DHONI MOMENT
MS Dhoni is in Delhi for the Vijay Hazare Trophy but trust Ravindra Jadeja to give Ranchi a glimpse of what they are missing. Steve Smith had called on No 11 Josh Hazlewood to complete a two after nudging Jadeja towards fine-leg. KL Rahul’s throw was off target but Jadeja moved in front of the stumps to collect the ball and almost back-flicked towards the stumps without looking.
RAHUL’S UNFAZED RUN
KL Rahul was unfortunate in missing out on a century in Bangalore. And maybe he missed out on another one for the taking on a flat pitch in Ranchi. But it won’t make him change the way he bats. Rahul is from the stable of fearless batting, with a crisp technique that made his shots, especially those through the covers, pleasing to the eye. Till the time Pat Cummins caught him unaware with a short ball, Rahul had already struck nine boundaries in a 102-ball 67 to give India a perfect start.