Ajinkya Rahane goes past Virat Kohli on list of India’s highest run-getters at MCG
Ajinkya Rahane led from the front to put India in command on day two of the Boxing Day Test against Australia. He registered his 12th Test hundred on Sunday.
During the knock, Ajinkya Rahane also went past Virat Kohli on the list of Indian batsmen with the most runs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Kohli has scored 316 runs in three Tests at the MCG at an average of 52.66. This includes one hundred and two fifties. Ajinkya Rahane, on the other hand, now has 334 runs at the famous venue. He was unbeaten on 104 at the end of day's play.
Sachin Tendulkar is the leading run-getter for India at the MCG, with 449 runs in five games at an average of 44.90. He scored one hundred and three fifties at the stadium.
Thanks to Ajinkya Rahane’s brilliance, India find themselves in a comfortable position at 277 for 5 after day two - a significant lead of 82 runs. Ajinkya Rahane hit 12 fours in his knock.
MCG has been a prolific venue for the Indian captain, who is leading the side in the absence of Kohli. He smashed a famous 147 from 171 balls there back in 2014 in a drawn encounter.
Ajinkya Rahane also equals Vinoo Mankad
Apart from going past Virat Kohli on the list of Indians with the most runs at the MCG, Ajinkya Rahane also equalled a record set by another legend in Vinoo Mankad.
The 32-year-old joined Mankad as only the second Indian to have notched up two Test hundreds at Melbourne. The former India all-rounder scored 116 in January 1948 and 111 a month later at the same venue.
Apart from Ajinkya Rahane, Kohli and Mankad, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gundappa Viswanath, Sunil Gavaskar and Cheteshwar Pujara are the other Indians to have notched up a Test hundred at the MCG.
In the ongoing Boxing Day Test, India began the day fluently with Shubman Gill and Pujara taking their score to 61. Gill was looking good for a half-century when he perished for 45, playing a loose stroke outside off to Pat Cummins.
Pujara’s poor run continued as he nicked a brilliant delivery from Cummins. He was back in the hut for 17 from 70.
Hanuma Vihari (21) and Rishabh Pant (29) could not convert starts, but Ajinkya Rahane found a reliable ally in Ravindra Jadeja (40 not out) as the two featured in a century stand.