Agencies
Melbourne, December 28
Hundreds from Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane have kept India in with a chance of winning the third Test against Australia in Melbourne. Kohli (169) and Rahane (147) put on an MCG record of 262 for the fourth wicket as the tourists closed day three on 462-8, 68 runs behind Australia’s first-innings total of 530.
But four late scalps for The Baggy Greens, including Kohli with the final ball of the day, ensured they remain in control as they look to claim a series-securing victory.
Kohli and Rahane joined forces earlier than they would have liked with Cheteshwar Pujara (25) edging the second delivery of the morning, bowled by Ryan Harris, to Brad Haddin and Murali Vijay (68) clipping Shane Watson to Shaun Marsh at slip having added 13 to his overnight score.
India were 147-3 at that stage but Kohli and Rahane batted beautifully to overhaul the previous best fourth-wicket stand in Melbourne of 194, posted by Michael Clarke and Watson against Sri Lanka two years ago.
Both batsmen were given lives – Nathan Lyon spilling a routine caught-and-bowled chance when Rahane was on 77 and Watson shelling Kohli in the slip cordon when he was on 88 – but the India duo managed to clobber 39 boundaries between them.
Mitchell Johnson felt the brunt, with Kohli clubbing the left-armer to the fence three times in one over and Rahane matching that feat in Johnson’s next as the Australia quick recorded figures of 1-133.
Johnson and Kohli also shared words after the former tried to run out the latter and knocked him to the ground with the ball, leading to the umpires intervening and calming the situation down.
Australia finally made the breakthrough when Rahane departed for his highest Test score after missing a sweep and being snaffled lbw with spinner Lyon – and more wickets followed.
Lokesh Rahul (3), Dhoni (11), and R Ashwin (0) fell cheaply as Lyon and veteran seamer Harris began to turn the screw and Johnson then snared Kohli with the last delivery of the evening as India lost four players for 53 runs.
The 33-year-old forced Kohli to nick to Haddin, handing the keeper his 252nd Test-match dismissal and Australia - victorious in the opening two Tests of the four-match series in Adelaide and Brisbane - a massive boon after a day of hard slog in the field.
Virat Kohli hits out at Aussies on and off the field
AFP
Melbourne, December 28
Virat Kohli says he enjoys the on-field banter with Australia but he let his bat do the talking Sunday with a Test-best 169 to help India fight back in the third Test.
Kohli claimed his third century of the series and his fifth against Australia as he joined Ajinkya Rahane (147) in a 262-run fourth-wicket stand. They reduced the home side`s lead to 68 with two wickets left and two days to play in Melbourne.
The spiky Kohli relishes his verbal clashes with the far from reticent Australians.
He proved a constant irritant to the Australian bowlers in his stay of more than six hours at the crease, confirming his stature as India`s pre-eminent batsman after the departure of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and V.V.S. Laxman.
Kohli was just as forthright at his post-day press conference as he fired some verbal bouncers at the Australians.
"I like playing against Australia because it`s very hard for them to stay calm," he said.
"I don`t mind. I will give it on the field. It really excites me and brings the best out in me. They don`t seem to be learning the lesson."
Kohli, who scored twin centuries in the first Adelaide Test and has amassed 445 runs at 89 in the series to date, had a running battle with Australia`s main strike bowler Mitchell Johnson.
At one stage he even blew kisses at Johnson when he hit him back over his head for four.
"It was going on throughout the day," Kohli said.
"They were calling me a spoilt brat and I said `Maybe that`s the way I am -- I know you guys hate me and I like that`. So I don`t mind having a chat on the field and it worked in my favour, I guess."
At one time Johnson hurled the ball at Kohli, hitting him on the back.
Johnson quickly apologised but the mood soured, with the umpires intervening to ease tensions between the pair. "I was really annoyed with him hitting me with the ball and I told him `That`s not on: try to hit the stumps next time, not my body`," he said.
Kohli said he was backing himself against Johnson, Ryan Harris and Australia`s other bowlers in the four-Test series.
"His (Johnson`s) job is bowl and get wickets and he was going at 4.7 runs an over today," he said.
"He didn`t get a wicket throughout the day (until the last over) and I knew -- I back myself that I can take him on, even if I keep talking to him. That`s important, you can`t back off after saying a few words and then not show it with your skill.”
"So I decided when he comes onto bowl, I`m going to back myself and take him on as well. I don`t mind giving a word back and neither does he. So it kept going on."
It was a bruising day for Johnson, who finished with one for 133. The last time he had been punished as severely was 0-104 against England at the Gabba in 2010.
