The Free Press Journal

INDIA OFF TO STEADY START

India reach 120/1 after Smith takes Oz to 451

- PTI

RANCHI: India were 120/1 in reply to Australia’s first innings total of 451 at close on the second day of the third Test in Ranchi on Friday. India lost Lokesh Rahul (67) and had Murali Vijay (42) along with Cheteshwar Pujara (10) at the crease at close of play.

The Indian batsmen showed positive intent in their reply to Australia's commanding score of 451 by reaching 120 for 1 on the second day of the third cricket Test here.

K L Rahul (67) scored his fourth half-century of the series and together with Murali Vijay (42 batting), conjured up a stand of 91 -- their best of the series -- on a JSCA track that remained good for batting.

India still need 132 runs to avoid the follow-on but with Virat Kohli's fitness a concern, the onus will be on other batsmen to help India post a substantia­l total.

By far India's best batsman in the current series, this was Rahul's fifth half-century in Test cricket. But just when he was looking good for a big score, Rahul frittered away the advantage edging one to Matthew Wade off comeback man Pat Cummins' delivery.

He faced 102 balls hitting nine boundaries while Vijay also looked compact at the other end remaining unbeaten on 42 in his 50th Test appearance. Cheteshwar Pujara was at the other end, batting on 10, when stumps were drawn for the day. Vijay hit six boundaries in 102 balls showing enormous patience as he left anything that was remotely pitched outside the off-stump.

After a couple of difficult pitches, it was one of the easier tracks to bat on. After negotiatin­g the initial spell of Cummins and Josh Hazlewood safely, Rahul opened up by hitting shots on all sides of the square.

Rahul treated all the bowlers with equal disdain. Cummins was hit for three boundaries, so was Steve O'Keefe while Hazlewood was dispatched to the ropes on two occasions.

Earlier, Steve Smith posted the highest individual score by an Australian captain in India, smashing 178 off 361 balls with 17 boundaries to his credit. Glenn Maxwell (104) also completed a well-deserved maiden Test hundred. He had nine boundaries and two sixes in his 185-ball knock.

The Smith-Maxwell duo put on 191 runs for the fifth wicket, laying the foundation for the big Australian total.

Australia's last five wickets fell for a mere 56 runs which prevented Smith from completing his double hundred.

For India, Ravindra Jadeja (5/124) bowled with a lot of heart sending down as many as 49.3 overs. Equally praisewort­hy was Umesh Yadav's performanc­e (3/108 in 31 overs), who bowled with pace and got the old ball to reverse on a consistent basis. Ashwin had a bad day in office as he got 1/114 in 34 overs. More noticeably, not for once did he look menacing on a track that did not offer much help.

Smith batted more than eight and half hours as he was epitome of concentrat­ion.

At the other end, Maxwell shed his T20 specialist's tag, showing adequate restraint while punishing loose deliveries over four hours that he was at the crease.

After Maxwell's departure, Matthew Wade notched a 50ball 37 (6x4) in a quick 64-run sixth wicket partnershi­p with Smith. But Jadeja put the brakes on dismissing Wade and Cummins (0) 10 minutes before lunch to infuse some energy in the Indian camp.

Introduced in the sixth over, Jadeja bowled kept bowling and took all the three wickets in the first session.

Jadeja also completed a fine run-out of Josh Hazlewood by backflicki­ng KL Rahul's throw in a MS Dhoni-like dismissal to bowl out Australia for in 137.3 overs.

India had a spirited start to the day when pacer Umesh Yadav snapped Glenn Maxwell bat into two with a 140kph delivery on the first ball as he went on to flex his muscles but what transpired later on was a batting dominance.

Kohli's deputy Ajinkya Rahane led the team and did

Kohli's is out of the field for six hours and 40 minutes. But his absence from the field would not affect his number four batting position with this being an external injury.

some smart bowling changes but they struggled to get the first breakthrou­gh of the day after the Aussie resumed on 299/4 with Smith and Maxwell holding fort.

Maxwell was at his watchful best and conceded a maiden to Jadeja on 99 but in the next over he powerfully cut an Umesh Yadav widish delivery through slips to notch up the hundred. Maxwell is now the 13th player to score centuries in all the three formats of the game as he looked emotional and was hugged by his captain Smith.

Having played his last of the three Tests in October 2014, Maxwell made a comeback in place of an injured Mitchell Marsh as he made full use of the opportunit­y becoming second Aussie after Shane Watson to post centuries in all the three formats.

 ??  ?? Steve Smith scored an unbeaten 178
Steve Smith scored an unbeaten 178
 ??  ?? Lokesh Rahul (R) plays a shot past Australian wicketkeep­er Matthew Wade during the second day of play at the JSCA Stadium in Ranchi on Friday.
Lokesh Rahul (R) plays a shot past Australian wicketkeep­er Matthew Wade during the second day of play at the JSCA Stadium in Ranchi on Friday.

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