A rather patient Rishabh Pant reaped the benefit of playing defensively as the young wicketkeeper has now scored his maiden Test century in Australia on Day 2 of the series decider, his 2nd overall. The explosive batsman played a defensive, patient game unlike his earlier performances where he went all out with full guns blazing. (IND vs AUS Live Score & Updates)
Pant scored his ton off 137 balls which consisted of 8 fours. He is also the series second highest run-getter after Pujara.
Cheteshwar Pujara had also scored his ton on Day 1 and fell 7 runs short of a double ton before Lyon snared him in the second session.
Pant scored his first half-century of the series after Pujara was dismissed for a mammoth 193 runs, facing 373 balls and hitting 22 fours. (Match Scorecard)
At the break, Pant was unbeaten on 88 runs, while Ravindra Jadeja was batting on 25 not out.
Post lunch, there were no signs of India speeding up the run-rate in order to declare quickly as the two batsmen batted as resolutely as in the morning.
India crossed 400 in the 123rd over with Pant and Pujara bringing up their 50-run partnership off 74 balls. In all, they added 89 runs for the sixth wicket.
Pujara got a life on 192 when Usman Khawaja dropped him at slip off Nathan Lyon (3-144) in the 126th over.
But the batsman couldn't score his first overseas Test double hundred and offered a tired return catch to Lyon four overs later.
He walked off to a standing ovation from the SCG ground, as Jadeja took guard.
Pant finished with an unbeaten 159 runs - the highest score by an Indian wicketkeeper in Australia - a record previously held by former stumper Farookh Engineer who had hit 89 in Adelaide in 1967.
Rishabh Pant's 159* is the second-highest Test score by a visiting wicketkeeper in Australia, behind only AB de Villiers' 169 in Perth, 2012
