Ind vs Aus: Could have dismissed Rahane five times before his hundred, says Starc
Dec 27, 2020
Melbourne [Australia], December 27 : Australia pacer Mitchell Starc on Sunday said that Ajinkya Rahane could have been dismissed five times before he got to his century, but the luck was in the favour of the Indian skipper.
At stumps on day two, the visitors' score read 277/5 and the side has taken a lead of 82 runs over Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The hosts might have scalped wickets of India's top-order, but in the final session, Ajinkya Rahane and Ravindra Jadeja showed grit and determination to give India firm control of the match. Rahane and Jadeja have put on an unbeaten stand of 104 runs for the sixth wicket.
Rahane and Jadeja are currently unbeaten on 104 and 40 respectively for India in the first innings and they will resume the proceedings for the visitors on day three of the second Test. Rahane's catch was dropped by Steve Smith and Travis Head off the bowling of Starc and Australia had to pay for the two misses dearly.
"He has batted really well, could have got him out five times before he got to his hundred, but he has run his luck there and scored a good hundred, well done to him. By the end of today, there are not too many demons in the wicket, it's typical Melbourne, it flattens out, it has become a flat wicket, it has given us a chance to bat really well in the second innings," said Starc during the virtual press conference after the conclusion of day two.
Starc took the wicket of Rishabh Pant on day two and as a result, he brought up his 250th wicket in Test cricket. Talking about this feat, Starc said: "I haven't really thought about 250 Test wickets, I am not the one for personal milestones, I can reflect on that once I am done with my career, it's really nice to be there long enough to take 250 wickets but we need to take 15 more wickets to win this match."
This is Rahane's eighth Test ton overseas and this is first hundred as captain of Team India. With this knock, Rahane also became the second Indian batsman to score a century on his first match as captain in Australia.
Kohli was the first one to achieve the feat in 2014 when he registered a century in Adelaide. Kohli had went back home after the first Test against Australia after being granted paternity leave by the BCCI.
On day one of the second Test, India had bundled out Australia for 195 as Jasprit Bumrah scalped four wickets while Ravichandran Ashwin took three wickets.
