KL Rahul shrugged off his awful Test debut in Melbourne to score his maiden Test hundred on the third day at the SCG, where he and captain Virat Kohli steered India untroubled through the second session. Australia's bowlers were finding it tough going on a pitch offering little assistance and a couple of dropped chances from Steven Smith did not help matters.
At tea, India had moved on to 2 for 234, with Rahul on 106 and Kohli unbeaten on 67, and they had reduced the deficit to 338 runs during a productive session. The morning had been slow and dour as the dot balls piled up and India added only 51 runs for the loss of Rohit Sharma, but after lunch the scoring rate picked up and a further 112 runs were added.
Rahul's century came in the final over before the break, when he steered a Mitchell Starc delivery behind point for a boundary from his 253rd ball. Having been out slogging across the line batting down the order in both innings in Melbourne, this was a chance to prove himself in the more familiar opening role, and he did not disappoint.
Rahul had struck 12 fours and one six, latching on to anything short from the spinners and scoring heavily square of the wicket on both sides, and through cover. His partnership with Kohli had reached 137 by tea and with the second new ball claimed shortly before the break, Australia needed wickets in the third session.
Starc had created a chance with the second new ball when Kohli, on 59, edged to second slip but the ball burst through the hands of Smith above his head. Kohli had struck 11 boundaries by tea and was moving the score along at a reasonable rate, pulling anything short and also impressing with wristy drives outside off stump.
Smith's drop of Kohli was the only genuine chance during the second session, although Rahul had also flicked one just past Joe Burns at short leg off the spin of Nathan Lyon. Rahul had been given a life before lunch when on 46 he top-edged a pull off Shane Watson and Smith running back from slip appeared distracted by SpiderCam and put down the chance.
Rahul then brought up his half-century from his 161st delivery with a boundary through extra cover off Lyon. Rohit's fifty had come from his 132nd delivery when he drove a boundary through cover off Ryan Harris, but on 53 he tried to sweep Lyon from outside off and his under-edge deflected back onto the stumps.
Although Lyon was the only wicket-taker in the first session, the pressure built by the other Australian bowlers was generally excellent. Collectively the Australians bowled 157 dot balls during the session and India had 22 scoring shots, several of which came from Kohli when he arrived at the crease after the loss of Rohit.
Kohli's first ball was eventful - he pushed at Lyon and the ball ricocheted off Brad Haddin's thigh, and Rahul wanted a run. He was turned back, but the substitute fielder threw to Haddin instead of the bowler. Smith was frustrated at that lapse, which could have ended Rahul's innings, and it was far from the only frustration for the Australians throughout the day.
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