Ajinkya Rahane breaks 'jinx' to score first Test hundred at home after 2016
Team India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane is back to his best as he scored his 11th Test century on Day 2 of the third Test match against South Africa in Ranchi.
After losing three early wickets, Rahane and Rohit Sharma stabilized the Indian innings to put them on top against the Proteas. It was Rahane's first ton at home after 2016. Rahane followed his Mumbai teammate to score his Test hundred in the 69th over.
Rahane played a little out of character to hit 14 fours and 1 six in a counter-attacking innings. It is Rahane's second hundred of 2019 in Test cricket. He slammed a century against West Indies to break the jinx of his century-less streak.
On Day 2, Rahane resumed his innings from 83 and hit a single off Anrich Nortje to complete his century. He stitched 185-run stand alongside Rohit on Day 1 to put Proteas on the mat.
The 31-year-old was in full control of his innings unlike his 59-run knock in the Pune Test. Rahane attacked South Africa's leading pacer Kagiso Rabada at the start of his innings to gain full control and unsettle the Proteas.
With the magnificent century, Rahane is now close to completing 4000 runs in Test cricket.
Earlier, Rohit also slammed his 6th Test hundred to put India on a consolidated position at stumps on the first day of the match. It is the third Test ton for Hitman in this series, he has now become the leading run-scorer for India in a series against South Africa as an opener.
Rohit's innings was more impressive because Rabada was on fire in his first spell of 7-4-15-2 as he got rid of opener Mayank Agarwal (10) and Cheteshwar Pujara (nought) inside the first hour's play.
The first breakthrough came in Rabada's third over when the pacer swung it away with Agarwal edging it to Dean Elgar at third slip. While, skipper Virat Kohli was not able to continue his golden reign with the bat as he was dismissed by Anrich Nortje to became his first victim in red-ball cricket.
