Daijiworld Media Network
Hyderabad, Mar 4: Welcome to day 3. 306 for 1. That was the summary of yesterday's play and India are in a position from where they can dictate terms to the opposition - something which hasn't happened too often in the recent past. Pujara and Vijay have put on 294 runs and if they continue to play the way they did yesterday, that number will only increase. Australia need a miracle to fight back from here. They have done miraculous things in the past, but does this team have it in them to do that here? .
Pujara: 'The first ball I faced went to the boundary and I felt very nice. The first session was difficult and really crucial. We knew that when we were bowling as well. The wicket is easing out a bit. They were also tired and there were a lot more loose balls on offer in the last session. My footwork is going right and I just want to continue that tomorrow.'
Onday 2, just one wicket fell in the entire day's play. Stupendous efforts from both Vijay and Pujara have put India in the driver's seat. The duo were very cautious in the first session but opened up gradually. The intensity was never let up. Pujara battled through a knee injury and towards the end of the day seemed in no discomfort whatsoever. Vijay has made great use of the opportunity given to him. His hundred was a lesson in patience. India will be eager to continue to dominate tomorrow. Anything else seems highly unlikely.
Day 2 - match report :
Cheteshwar Pujara and Murali Vijay dominated the Australian bowlers on Day 2 of the Hyderabad Test. The duo came together at the fall of Virender Sehwag’s wicket, and have put together an unbeaten 294-run stand. During this partnership both batters brought up their centuries and looked infallible against anything dished out by the opposition bowlers.
Pujara’s ton was his fourth in Tests, and now the Saurashtra batsman is just 25 runs shy of reaching the 1000-run mark in the longest format of the game. Here are these and some more stats highlights from today’s play:
Virender Sehwag has now aggregated only 163 runs in nine innings – at an average of 18.11 and with a highest score of 49 – since scoring 117 against England at Ahmedabad in November 2012.
Since the start of 2011, Sehwag has aggregated 916 runs in 18 Tests at an average of 28.62.
Cheteshwar Pujara (162*) scored his fourth Test hundred – his second in successive matches at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Pujara had scored 159 against New Zealand in August 2012.
Out of the five instances when Pujara crossed 50 in Test cricket, he has gone on to score a hundred in four times – a conversion rate of 80 percent!
In his 20 hundreds in first-class cricket, Pujara has crossed 150 on 12 occasions.
Murali Vijay (129*) scored his second Test hundred in his 14th Test.
The second wicket unbroken partnership of 294 runs between Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara is India’s best for this wicket against Australia. The pair surpassed the previous record stand of 224 runs between Sunil Gavaskar and Mohinder Amarnath at Sydney in 1985-86.
The above partnership is currently India’s third-highest against any opponent at home, next only to the 344-run unbroken partnership between Sunil Gavaskar and Dilip Vengsarkar against West Indies at Kolkata in 1978-79 and the 314-run partnership between Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid against England at Mohali in 2008-09.
India scored 306 runs for the loss of just one wicket, making it one of their most dominating days against Australia in Test cricket. They had scored 335 for no loss on the fourth day of Kolkata Test in 2000-01 and 334 for one on the opening day of Sydney Test in 1985-86.
Cheteshwar Pujara is now 25 short of completing 1000 Test runs. If he reaches the landmark tomorrow, he will be the second quickest among Indians, after Vinod Kambli (14 innings), to get 1000 career Test runs. Pujara is playing his 18th innings. The Test record is shared by England’s Herbert Sutcliffe and West Indies’ Everton Weekes. Both of them reached the mark in just 12 innings.