IND vs AUS, 2nd Session: Rohit-Jadeja heroic stand keeps Australia at bay
Rohit Sharma is looking sublime in the middle [Source: AP]
A battle that seemed an one-sided affair in India's favour at stumps on day 1 added multiple twists and turns to its storyline on the second day, as Todd Murphy-led Australian bowling attack threatened India of a collapse scare in the enthralling first session.
However, with skipper Rohit Sharma leading from the front with the bat, the hosts are slowly moving towards the safety zone, looking all set for a substantial total at tea on day 2.
How the battle panned out
Rohit and Jadeja neutralised the Aussie bowlers [Source: AP]
The second session began with India needing 26 more runs to go past Australia's first innings total of 177 runs.
With seven wickets in hand, the hosts were certainly the favourites to get an upper hand over their counterparts in the first innings. But considering the steadily deteriorating Nagpur pitch and Australia's venomous spin pair of Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy, a mid-innings collapse was always in the vicinity.
And as expected, India got a disastrous start to the session, losing the legendary Virat Kohli and debutant Suryakumar Yadav cheaply in quick succession.
However, skipper Rohit Sharma and experienced Ravindra Jadeja managed to avoid the Aussie scare, consolidating the Indian innings with a gritty unbeaten 58-run stand for the sixth wicket.
Renowned as the Hitman, Sharma accomplished one of the neatest hundreds of his career, becoming the first-ever Indian skipper to slam tons across formats.
On the other hand, Jadeja showcased his spin-playing prowess for the umpteenth time, frustrating the Aussie off-spinners with his undaunted stoicism.
Talking Points
Rohit proved his mettle on home soil [Source: AP]
- Rohit Sharma looks stupendous in the middle, piercing through even the narrowest gaps with the utmost precision. With this knock, the Indian captain has proved his reliability on the home soil yet again.
- The credit must be given to the Australian team for the patience they have shown today. Unlike the first day, where they delivered in erratic lines, the visiting bowlers have rectified their mistakes in time, challenging the host batters with their nagging accuracy.
Expectations from the final session
The game, which seems to be slightly in India's favour at the moment, will further slip away from Australia's hands, if they fail to break this stand in the third session.
So, we expect the post-tea session to play a significant role, deciding Australia's fate in this Test match.
Brief Scores
India: 226/5 (80)
Rohit Sharma 118* (207), Ravindra Jadeja 34* (82);
Todd Murphy 4/59, Nathan Lyon 1/81)
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