Agency :
Virat Kohli became only the third Indian to score a hundred on his Test captaincy debut as the visitors responded brilliantly to Australia’s mammoth first innings total of 517 for 7 by reaching 369 for 5 at stumps on day three of the first Test in Adelaide on Wednesday.
Kohli, standing in for injured captain MS Dhoni, became the first Indian after Vijay Hazare and Sunil Gavaskar to score a hundred on his debut as skipper of the team.
The 26-year-old was hit by Mitchell Johnson’s on the helmet of the very first ball he faced, but he did not show any nerves and batted positively throughout the innings.
At stumps, Wriddhimaan Saha (1) was holding fort in the company of Rohit Sharma, who was not out on 33.
After play started half an hour earlier to make up for lost time on day two that saw just 30.2 overs bowled due to bad weather, the Indian openers Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay started off positively and former was not afraid of playing shots early in the innings.
Dhawan picked up three boundaries in an over of Johnson and looked settled form the word go but he could not make most of the start as he played one on to his stumps.
The left-hander tried to play across to a slightly shortish delivery from Ryan Harris and played on when he was on 25.
Vijay was joined by Cheteshwar Pujara in the middle and the duo batted sensibly and consolidated Indian innings.
Pujara and Vijay posted India’s highest second-wicket stand at the Adelaide Oval, surpassing the modest 71 put on by Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar in 2007.
Johnson then struck just before lunch to remove Vijay, who had looked threatening in reaching his seventh half-century with 53 off 88 balls with three fours and two sixes. Vijay hit the first six of the Test when he advanced down the wicket and slammed Lyon over the long-on ropes and followed up with a four next ball in the 20th over. He smashed another huge six in Lyon’s next over to keep the India innings going.
Pujara was then joined by Kohli in the middle and the duo batted with patience to carry Indian innings forward. Pujara drove Harris from outside offstump to complete his sixth Test fifty off 96 balls. But Pujara missed his chance of a Test century in Australia when he was bowled by offspinner Nathan Lyon.
Pujara played a defensive shot, but the ball dribbled off the bat and on to the stumps. He added 81-run for the third wicket along with the skipper Kohli.
The tourists were 223 for 3 at tea with Kohli not out on 48 and was in company of Ajinkya Rahane, who started his innings scratchily. However, after tea, the duo took control and scored at a rate exceeding four an over.
Rahane got to his fifty off only 61 balls and was looking dangerous before a brilliant delivery by Lyon led to his downfall. Rahane played a defensive shot but the ball kicked off a length and took his gloves and Shane Watson took an easy catch.
Rohit Sharma was solid and survived the new ball through to stumps but Kohli however, fell for 115 as he tried to pull Johnson and was caught in the deep. Wriddhiman Saha battled a rough spell from Johnson at the end to help India finish without further damage.
