Rohit brainfade mars India's near-perfect day as rain washes out final session

Brief Scores: Australia 369 lead India 62/2 (Cheteshwar Pujara 8*, Ajinkya Rahane 2*, Rohit Sharma 44; Nathan Lyon 1-10, Pat Cummins 1-22) by 307 runs

Notwithstanding Rohit Sharma's premature dismissal at the stroke of Tea, India kept their finger on the pulse with Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane holding fort at 62/2, trailing by 307 at the end of Day 2. Earlier in the day, Australia were snuffed out for 369 with rookies T Natarajan, Washington Sundar, and Shardul Thakur sharing three spoils each. Thunderstorms were always on the cards in the afternoon of the second day and arrived right as per the forecast to force Stumps with a hefty 35 overs yet to be delivered. 

Resuming proceedings on an overnight score of 274/5, Australia cashed in on India's quest to pitch the ball full and extract whatever swing there was in the otherwise amiable surface. Cameron Green established a firm base and drove Natarajan down the ground twice, however he was very lucky to get away with a miscue that flew through the vacant third slip. Tim Paine raked up his half-century with a sumptuous whip off Shardul Thakur, who though had the last laugh as a clumsy drive was pouched neatly by Rohit Sharma at second slip. Washington Sundar persisted with the leg-stump channel and got one to straighten off the deck in a rather bizarre fashion to castle Green three shy of what would have been a well-compiled fifty. 

The tail has often proved a thorn in India's flesh but they had their plans in place to ensure things don't go out of hand. Pat Cummins was outsmarted by Thakur courtesy a gun barrel straight shooter that thudded him in front, so plumb that even a tactical review couldn't save his nose. Nathan Lyon hit the ground running in his 100th Test with a few nonchalant on-drives before utilising Sundar's pace to beat fine leg on the sweep. He had his furniture rattled while attempting an encore but not before lending a vital 24 to Australia's first-innings total. While Mitchell Starc flexed his muscles for a quickfire 20, Josh Hazlewood indulged in a bit of textbook stuff before Natarajan breached through his defences to hammer the final nail in Australia's coffin. With five wickets ensnared at the cost of an unalarming 95, the productive morning session was just what the doctor ordered for India. 

Shubman Gill And Rohit Sharma have made for a stylishly formidable union at the top, but it wasn't to be today as the youngster hung his bat out to dry and nicked Cummins' lifter to slip in his very first over as one change. Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit then stemmed the rot, with soft hands and decisive footwork shielding them against the high-flying pace attack. Rohit waited and waited for the bowlers to come to him, pouncing like a predator when they overcooked their lengths or erred on the shorter side. He was looking focused on converting his start into something of note when a brain freeze spelt his doom on 44. In his bid to be uber-positive, Rohit charged down the track only for Lyon to see him coming and drop it short as the horrendous swipe across the line landed in long-on's palms. The premier off-break has had Rohit on toast, having dismissed him on 6 occasions in Tests, the most by any bowler. 

India will hinge on experienced campaigners Rahane and Pujara, the only two figures to have appeared in all four Tests, to bail them out of choppy waters on the morrow. 

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