Australia -India Border Gavaskar Vodaphone Test Series 
Boxing Day Test at MCG Played 26-30 December 2020 

Brief Scorecard at stumps on Day Two
Australia 1st Innings 195 All Out in 73.2 Overs (Marnus Labuchagne 48, Travis Head 38, Matthew Wade 30, Jasprit Bumrah 4/56, Ravindra Jadeja 3/35, Mohammed Siraj 2/40) 
India 1st Innings 277/5 in 91.3 Overs (Ajinka Rahane 104*, Shuvman Gill 45, Ravindra Jadeja 40*, Rishabh Pant 29, Mitchel Starc 2/61, Pat Cummins 2/71) 
India leads by 82 runs in the 1st Innings with 5 wickets at hand 

Brilliant batting by stand in Indian Captain Alinka Rahnane (104*) and his admirable unfinished 104 runs 6th wicket partnership with Ravindra Jadeja successfully confronting incisive Australian bowling attack took team India to driver's seat at stumps of day two. India finishing the day at 277/5 went ahead by 82 runs with 5 wickets still at hand. It is not that Australia did not ball well but contrary to Australian tradition they fielded poorly and drooped as many as five catches some sitters and some difficult ones. Indian batsmen showed lot of application and character. Rahane looked superb both with his immaculate defense and spectacular stroke play. Gill, Pant and Jadeja all looked gutsy. Their combined contribution carried team india to a commanding position. Rahane scoring second century at MCG test kept India in the hunt for a probable win in the test. He is still at the wicket along with Jadeja. Another 100 runs from here on day three will put India in impregnable position.

India started the day at 30/1. Wicket was still doing a lot. Cummins, Starc, Hazelwood, Lyon and Green did not make it easy for them at all. Gill and Pujara could not stay longer. Rahane and Bihari started the fight adding 52 for the 4th wicket partnership. Then there was an enterprising 57 runs partnership between Rahane and Pant. While Pant (29) was playing his strokes, Rahane was rock solid. At the fall of Pant, Jadeja joining Rahane led India to a position well beyond Australia’s first innings tally of 195. The unfinished 102 runs 6th wicket partnership led a solid foundation and promised more. Rahane completed a very authoritative century. Jadeja looked good on 40. Given the condition of the wicket 82 runs lead has already made Australia’s task of saving this test extremely challenging. If India gets up to 150 plus lead with two top quality spinners Ashwin and Jadeja India may win the test.

No praise is enough for rollicking Rahane (106). On a wicket where all other batsmen struggled for run he looked at ease. He joined the very exclusive club of test batsmen scoring centuries in consecutive appearance at MCG. All four players (Siraj, Jadeja, Pant and Gill) contributed massively in the test over the first two days. It is great watching India bouncing back such strongly after Adelaide disaster. 

BDST: 1220 HRS, DEC 28, 2020
AP