Hindustan Surkhiyan Desk: Cheteshwar Pujara played the anchor’s role yet again with his third masterful hundred of the series, helping India dominate Australia on the opening day of the fourth and final Test here. India made a strong start by ending at 303/4 in 90 overs on Thursday.
At stumps, Pujara (130) and Hanuma Vihari (39) were holding the fort for the visiting side, which is in pursuit of a maiden Test series triumph on Australian soil.
At the Sydney Cricket Ground, Pujara faced 250 balls, hitting 16 of them for fours, and added 75 runs for the unbeaten fifth-wicket stand with Vihari.
Post tea, Australia were able to make a quick breakthrough as Virat Kohli (23) was caught down leg. They had consistently bowled towards the leg-stump against the Indian skipper, cramping him for room and the ploy worked as he gloved behind off Josh Hazlewood (2-51) in the first over after the break.
Wickets don't get much bigger than this!#AUSvIND | @bet365_aus pic.twitter.com/DW2by0Z9OQ
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 3, 2019
It brought Ajinkya Rahane (18) to the crease, who faced the same tactic. Cramping the batsmen for room, the hosts were able to put a check on the scoring rate as only 36 runs came in the first hour of play after tea.
Unlike his counter-attacking style in the first three Tests, Rahane was subdued on this occasion as he looked to settle down. But Mitchell Starc (1-75) had him caught behind in the 71st over with a sharp-rising unplayable bouncer.
That's a ripper from Mitch Starc 🔥
Stream via Kayo here: https://t.co/CaiEbSjKbT #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/dlNsClxxAl
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 3, 2019
India crossed 200 in the 63rd over but needed a partnership at this juncture. Vihari proved to be a handy partner for Pujara as the duo put on 50 runs in 72 balls.
Vihari kept the scoreboard ticking with minimum fuss, batting at a strike-rate of 67.2.
He took pressure off Pujara at the other end, who was solid as ever, and celebrated his 18th Test hundred off 199 balls. In doing so, he went past 438 runs against England in 2012-13 as the most he had scored previously in a Test series.
Take a bow, Cheteshwar Pujara!
Another outstanding knock for his fifth Test ton against Australia.#AUSvIND | @Domaincomau pic.twitter.com/n692cZ7WrC
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 3, 2019
This was also the fourth time he faced 200-plus deliveries in the current series, going past Sunil Gavaskar’s record of three such instances back in 1977-78.
Earlier, Pujara put on 54 runs with Kohli as India reached 177-2 at tea. Post lunch, Agarwal and Pujara continued their second-wicket partnership to 116 runs. The duo put on an attacking show after the break, with their 100-run stand coming off 178 balls.
Agarwal reached his second Test half-century off 96 balls, inclusive of two sixes against Nathan Lyon (1-88) as the two batsmen rotated the strike well and kept the scoreboard ticking.
In the morning, India were placed at 69-1 at lunch. This was after India won the toss and opted to bat. R Ashwin didn’t pass the fitness test and was ruled out of this match. The visitors then made two changes, with KL Rahul and Kuldeep Yadav coming in for Rohit Sharma and Ishant Sharma.
Things didn’t change much for Rahul (9) despite missing the Melbourne Test, as he edged twice in the first four balls faced only for the ball to go to the boundary.
He didn’t last long, however, edging Hazlewood to first slip in the second over, and his nightmare runs on this tour continued.
This was the sixth opening pairing for India in 12 overseas Tests since January 2018, and only averages 21.56 in 23 overseas innings.
