14 Monday, December 28, 2020 Sports SUPER SUNDAY Captain Rahane stands and Ajinkya’s knock delivers to put India on top inspires India Shares unbeaten 104-run stand with Jadeja Half-century stands with Vihari, Pant teammates AFP Scoreboard AGENCIES Rahane’s 104-run stand MELBOURNE MELBOURNE with Ravindra Jadeja (40 AUSTRALIA (1ST INNS): 195 not out) has India well- STAND-IN skipper Ajinkya INDIA (1ST INNINGS; OVERNIGHT 36 FOR ONE) INDIA opener Shubman placed at 5-277 with a first- M. Agarwal lbw Starc ..............................................0 Rahane rode his luck to hit a S. Gill c Paine b Cummins ................................... 45 Gill was full of praise for innings lead of 82 as they gritty unbeaten century as In- C. Pujara c Paine c Cummins .............................. 17 Ajinkya Rahane’s compo- attempt to level the series. dia built an ominous 82-run A. Rahane not out ............................................. 104 sure under pressure after But the skipper’s 12th lead over Australia on day H. Vihari c Smith b Lyon ...................................... 21 the stand-in captain’s styl- Test century wasn’t with- R. Pant c Paine b Starc ....................................... 29 two to take a stranglehold on R. Jadeja not out ................................................. 40 ish century put India in a out its nervous moments as the second Test in Melbourne Extras: (b12, lb6, w1, nb2) ................................ 21 strong position in the sec- Mitchell Starc and the hosts on Sunday. TOTAL: (For 5 wickets, 91.3 overs) ................ 277 ond Test. were left to rue a string of It was a determined and To bat: Ravi Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Mohammad Siraj, Rahane finished unbeat- missed opportunities. Jasprit Bumrah. crucial knock against a world- Fall of wickets: 0-1 (Agarwal), 2-61 (Gill), 3-64 en on 104 at stumps on day Rahane was dropped class attack by the mild- (Pujara), 4-116 (Vihari), 5-173 (Pant). two at the MCG after peel- twice - first by Steve Smith mannered 32-year-old, who Bowling: Starc 18.3-3-61-2, Cummins 22-7-71-2, ing off a dozen boundaries on 73 and then by Travis assumed the captaincy from Hazlewood 21-6-44-0, Lyon 18-2-52-1, Green 12-1- from 200 deliveries. Head moments before 31-0-56-4, Yadav 12-2-39-0, Ashwin 24-7-35-3, Virat Kohli after he returned Jadeja 5.3-1-15-1, Siraj 15-4-40-2. “This knock was all stumps - and nicked an- home for the birth of his first Toss: Australia. about timing and patience,” other ball through a vacant child. Test debutant Gill said. first slip. Batting at four, he faced joyed some good fortune. “Importantly, some- Each of those chances 200 balls for his 104 to steer Australia removed first slip times against a high-quality were off Starc’s bowling. India to 277 for five before during Starc’s first spell in the bowling attack you go into “We should have got rain ended play 15 minutes final session and lived to re- your shell and then you’re him out three, four, maybe early. Ravindra Jadeja was not gret it with Rahane getting an not able to score runs. five times before he got to out 40. edge on 57 that would almost “But the way Rahane 100 but he’s run his luck The hosts took just four certainly have been caught if played, it was such a magnif- there and scored a good wickets during a frustrating the fielder was there. icent knock (to watch) from hundred,” Starc said. day in the field as the match He had a huge let-off on 73 outside. “Those tough peri- Rahane’s brilliant in- began to slip away with India when he was dropped at sec- ods, he saw off those tough nings came a day after he zeroing in on levelling the se- ond slip by Steve Smith and periods, and then with the was widely praised for his ries after losing the first Test again on 104 when the ball loose balls he was mak- captaincy as India bowled by eight wickets in Adelaide. popped out of Travis Head’s ing sure he put all of them out Australia for 195. “Not our best day, but not hands as he landed after tak- away.” (Courtesy: The Canberra Times) our worst,” said Australia’s ing the catch. Mitchell Starc, who has two Jadeja, back in the team wickets but also saw catches after missing the first Test in- put down off his bowling. jured, ably supported Rahane “Jinx (Rahane) batted re- after Vihari fell for 21 attempt- ally well through the day there ing to sweep Nathan Lyon, and they had some pretty good with Smith taking the catch. partnerships. That brought the exuber- “I thought there was some ant Pant to the crease. Pre- really good stuff from us as ferred to Wriddhiman Saha well, we just didn’t capitalise on as wicketkeeper, he scored some of the chances we created a breezy 29 before becom- to finish in a better position. ing Starc’s 250th Test victim, “We’re just going to have to caught by Tim Paine for his back up tomorrow and take five 150th dismissal. wickets as quick as we can.” India were reduced to 64 While Rahane was the for three before lunch after hero, it was a gutsy Indian Cummins caused all sorts of team performance, with three problems. 50-plus wicket partnerships to He signalled his intent help silence their critics after with the first ball of the day, being skittled for their all-time India’s Ajinkya Rahane (left) celebrates scoring his century as teammate Ravi Jadeja applauds on the sec- which zipped past Pujara’s low of 36 last week. ond day of their second Test against Australia at the MCG in Melbourne on Sunday. (AFP) bat. Paine called for a review, Debutant Shubman Gill believing it took a nick, but re- chipped in with an impressive to watch, the way he saw off nings 195, having weathered 11 That brought Rahane to plays showed it was not out. 45 and paid tribute to Rahane. the tough periods and the overs Saturday when they lost the crease and -- first with Cummins finally got the “His knock was all about loose balls he was making sure Mayank Agarwal for a duck to Hanuma Vihari, then Rishabh wicket he deserved when Gill, patience. Sometimes against he put them all away.” Starc. Pant and finally Jadeja – he who added 17 to his overnight such a high-quality bowling In an action-packed morn- built half-century stands to score, got a nick and Paine attack you go into your shell Problems ing, the Australian attack put India in a strong position. took the catch. and then you’re not able to On a steamy day at the consistently hit its line and He brought up his 12th He then removed Pujara, Indian fans jubilate during the second day of the second cricket score runs,” he said. Melbourne Cricket Ground, length with Pat Cummins bag- Test ton in his 67th game, and again enticing an edge with Test match between Australia and India at the MCG in Melbourne “The way Ajinkya played, it India resumed on 36 for one ging Gill then the experienced his second in Melbourne, with Paine holding a brilliant div- on Sunday. (AFP) was such a magnificent knock in reply to Australia’s first in- Cheteshwar Pujara for 17. a four off Cummins, but he en- ing catch. Al Nashaab horseback archery Pakistan suffer early setback championship final today dent of the Qatar Equestrian in reply to New Zealand’s 431 Federation. They also thanked the great efforts made by the head AFP but was clearly in pain. of the organising commit- MOUNT MAUNGANUI (NZ) New Zealand, having start- tee of the championship, Ali ed the day at 222 for three, Al-Rumaihi, which led to the NEW Zealand were banking added a further 209 runs before provision of the venue for the on a deteriorating pitch to de- Wagner was the last man out. championship and in provid- fend their Kane Williamson- The innings was headlined ing media support to uncover anchored 431 after reducing by Williamson’s 129, his 23rd this new sport in Qatar. Pakistan to 30 for one on day Test century, with sizeable The next step would be to two of the first Test at Mount contributions from BJ Watling lay down plans to develop and Maunganui on Sunday. (73) and Henry Nicholls (56) expand the horseback archery Abid Ali was not out 19 to go with Ross Taylor’s 70 on sport in the country and to with nightwatchman Moham- the first day. hold more tours, depending mad Abbas yet to score after Williamson described his on the success of the inaugu- Kyle Jamieson removed open- knock as “really satisfying” af- The first Horseback Archery Championship (Al Nashaab Champion- ral championship, the com- er Shan Masood for 10. ter New Zealand were sent into ship) will be held at QEF’s outdoor arena on Monday evening. mittee said. The Bay Oval pitch, Wil- bat on a green wicket and with During the qualification liamson’s home wicket, is re- Afridi and Mohammad Abbas TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK Al Mudahka informed that skills test, participants had to nowned for supporting the making life difficult with swing DOHA the participation for the skills aim at targets from a horse- bowlers on the first and last and seam on the first day. test was very good despite the back in a 90m arena.