AUSTRALIA (MELBOURNE )
That India are still in the Boxing Day Test despite conceding 530 to Australia in their first innings owes a lot to the centuries of Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, who combined for a record fourth-wicket partnership of 262 on day three at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. And despite an all too familiar collapse at Rahane's exit that saw India go from 409 for 4 to 462 for 8, Kohli was upbeat about the situation.
They've got 530, we've got 462. The closer we can get to 500, the game is in the balance. The wicket is slowing down and they've got Mitchell Johnson bowling from one end, so [Ravichandran] Ashwin comes into play in the second innings. Nathan Lyon was getting a bit of zip in the end, and to the new batsman it was difficult, as you saw KL Rahul getting out. It can be very exciting if we come out tomorrow and score those runs quickly and put them in again."
There's no doubt about it. The intent is there, the positive mindset is there and this time we would like to cross the line.After successive hundreds in Adelaide, Kohli has roared back from a poor Brisbane outing with his personal best in Test cricket, 169 off 272 balls, before he was eighth out. His form in his second tour of Australia, after a dismal tour of England where he averaged 13 in five Tests, has carried the team and helped instill a sense of belief.
I had to make certain changes after England, Adjustments to my game that were needed, a lot of hard work and it's paying off. Not letting the bowler bowl too many balls in the same spot, I'd rather show them my bat, which is my strongest point. And that's sort of working for me. Most bowlers bowl on the fourth stump in that nice area [outside offstump] and I'm trying to cover that, so they have to change their lengths. I'm standing in front of the crease. Sometimes I go back and sometimes two feet forward, so I try my best not to let the bowler settle too much."
Following 115 and 141 at the Adelaide Oval, the 26-year-old has now joined Rahane in becoming one of a handful of Indian batsmen to score centuries at the MCG, perhaps cricket's most famous venue. The second innings in Adelaide is very special, It was an emotionally draining game for us and I was really motivated that day. Whatever I wanted to do, it came off. Today was special as well. It was great to have a partnership with him. He's been very solid for us. In England, that century at Lord's, so I'm really happy for him."
His fine effort means that he has now scored a hundred on his last three overseas tours - 118 in Wellington and 103 at Lord's being the other two. For a batsman who until late 2013 could not find a place in the Test XI despite being part of the squad in many series, this hundred was special. I'm really enjoying my batting, "This partnership with Virat was enjoyable. In England, the hundred at Lord's gave me a lot of confidence and here I was really determined to bat. Whatever we saw in the past, teams that batted with really good intent have had success, so we just wanted to play out natural game and our intent was positive throughout."
The pair was joined with India 147 for 3 and proceeded to nullify Australia's attack with an array of confidence-coated strokes, with the crispness of Rahane's cutting and pulling being particularly pleasing. He got to his century before Kohli, who was on 26 when he walked in, off just 127 deliveries.
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