Ajinkya Rahane-inspired India defeated Australia at the MCG by eight wickets to level the four-match series 1-1. 

It took less than an entire four days for the same Indian team, who were without four of their main players - Kohli, Shami, Ishant Sharma and injured Umesh Yadav - to wrap up an epic comeback, one to be part of India's cricket folklore for ages to come.

India's fifth bowler, Ravindra Jadeja who played as an all-rounder came good after pacer Umesh Yadav limped off the field early in Australia's second innings on Monday following pain in his ankle.

The 58-year-old former India all-rounder compared Rahane to Kohli, saying that though both are good readers of the game they are different in nature.

Following the eight-wicket win, Virat Kohli took to Twitter to congratulate the Indian team and Ajinkya Rahane for his captaincy.

Rahane, who scored a brilliant century in the first innings to lead India's revival after they were reduced to 116/4, said going in with five bowlers worked well.

With the win, Rahane, the Man of the Match for his 112 and 27*, etched his name in history for his inspiring captaincy while India extended their supremacy in Melbourne hence adding to Australia's woes at the venue.

India’s comprehensive victory, led brilliantly by stand-in skipper and man of the match Ajinkya Rahane, levels the four-match series at one-all.

The Aussies are ahead of India by just two runs and have four wickets in hand. India are yet to bat in the second innings.

Rahane patiently put together a valiant century, his 12th in the format as first as a captain, against one of the best Test bowling attacks in present world cricket. 

Rahane pats Jadeja after getting run out for no fault of his own; was run out by the smallest of margin while responding to a quick single call by Jadeja.

Rahane survived three dropped opportunities but showed ample resilience against the spin and pace attack to stitch fifty-run stands alongside Hanuma Vihari and Rishabh Pant before added a century more alongside Ravindra Jadeja on day 2. 

Rahane's innings ended after scoring 112 runs, adding further eight runs to his overnight score, when he got run out of a brilliant piece of fielding from Marnus Labuschagne.

Rahane walked back with 112 runs, the second-highest score by an Indian captain at the MCG and the fifth among all visiting captains. 

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Rahane, who is captaining the Indian team in the second, third and fourth Tests of the series in the absence of regular skipper Virat Kohli, scored a masterful 104 off 200 balls.

Rahane was unbeaten on 104 while all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was with him at the crease on 40 as the two built a century stand for the sixth wicket.

On the second day of Boxing Day clash, Rahane flaunted his textbook technique to become the 10th Indian captain to score a centuy in Test cricket history.

Rahane was unbeaten on 104 at the draw of stumps.

The 104, still unbeaten, will forever stand as one of Rahane's finest knocks and he will now look to build on the score, which already seems to stand as the sole difference between the two sides, when day 3 resumes on Monday