India vs Australia A Day 2: Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant tons headline India’s domination as visitors amass 386 for 4
India put up a dominant batting show on Day 2 of the pink-ball practice match against Australia A in Sydney on Saturday. After rolling over Australia for 108 on Day 1, India massively improved on their first-innings effort of 194. The visitors amassed an impressive 386 for 4 to take a massive lead of 472 runs. Hanuma Vihari remained unbeaten on 104 from 194 while Rishabh Pant also scored a century.
Rishabh Pant, on the other hand, went into the last over, needing 19 to reach a hundred. After being hit on the stomach on the first ball, he blasted Jack Wildermuth for a six and four fours, the last of which brought up his hundred off 73 balls.
Wildermuth's sixth ball of the over was a full-toss, which was flicked to deep midwicket for a boundary as a beaming Pant registered three figures.
Earlier in the day, India got off to a poor start in their second essay when Prithvi Shaw hit Mark Steketee uppishly to be caught at cover-point. That would be the only moment of joy for Australia A for a while.
Shubman Gill and Mayank Agarwal featured in a brilliant century stand for the second wicket, with both players hitting half-centuries. Gill looked in great touch, hitting ten fours, the first of which was a gorgeous punch through cover off Sean Abbott. Agarwal joined in by driving Steketee through cover-point for his first four.
The runs kept flowing for India, with Gill, in particular, dominating the bowlers. A mix-up early on in the partnership nearly cost the visitors their second wicket, but the duo settled in nicely after that.
Gill kept finding the boundaries while rotating the strike, easing to his half-century off 49 balls after driving Will Sutherland past cover for a four. Agarwal also joined in the act, taking two boundaries off Jack Wildermuth, both past the cover region.
Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant take India forward after Gill, Agarwal fifties
After a quiet phase where the boundaries died up, Shubman Gill perished to Mitchell Swepson after a well-made 65.
It was an interesting dismissal as Gill tried to flick one but seemed to miss it, and Swepson appealed for an lbw. In the meantime, Abbott dived to his right and plucked the 'catch'. The umpire adjudged the batsman out caught, as he felt Gill had edged the ball.
Mayank Agarwal had a lucky reprieve on 39 when a cut off Will Sutherland went to ground. He proceeded to loft Swepson for a six and cut him for a four to bring up his half-century. Agarwal celebrated the occasion with another lofted effort for a maximum in Swepson’s next over.
Australia A’s woes got exacerbated when Abbott did not return to bowl post-tea after reporting calf tightness. There was some respite for the beleaguered hosts though as Agarwal (61) hit a length ball from Wildermuth into the hands of the only fielder on the off side.
Skipper Ajinkya Rahane and Hanuma Vihari then took the fight forward for India. While Hanuma Vihari batted patiently, Ajinkya Rahane was in a particularly aggressive mood. He pulled out a flick and a sweep to register two boundaries in a Swepson over.
At the other end, Hanuma Vihari quietly progressed to his 50 off 98 balls, driving a full toss from the leg-spinner to deep cover for a single.
Hanuma Vihari and Rahane had added 78 for the fourth wicket when the latter, on 38, fell caught behind to Steketee. With the ball moving away a hint, Rahane was drawn into a false stroke.
After a rain interruption, Hanuma Vihari and Pant went into overdrive. The right-hander hit Swepson for three fours in an over to inch towards three figures. Hanuma Vihari eventually reached his century off 188 balls, turning a good-length ball off Wildermuth to midwicket for a single.
Rishabh Pant eased to his fifty off 43 balls, cutting one past point for a boundary, after hitting four sixes. With Ajinkya Rahane unwilling to declare, Pant and Hanuma Vihari made hay, especially the left-hander.