Sydney:Rishabh Pant and Hanuma Vihari scored brilliant centuries as India reached 386/4 at Stumps on Day 2 of the pink ball tour game and took a commanding lead of 472 runs over Australia A, here at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.
Both Pant and Vihari made their case stronger for a spot in the Indian playing XI for the first Test with contrasting hundreds as India batters thoroughly dominated hosts on Saturday.
Needing 19 runs to reach his century when Jack Wildermuth started the day's final over final Pant smashed him for 22 runs to remain unbeaten on a blistering 103 off only 73 balls, with nine fours and six sixes.
On the other end, Vihari showed great composure and patience and played a fine 104-run knock off 194 balls.
Shubman Gill (65), Mayank Agarwal (61) and captain Ajinkya Rahane (38) were the other major contributors as India put up a much-improved show in the second innings after getting bowled out for 194 in the first.
Coming out to bat again in the start of the day's play, India lost Prithvi Shaw in the second over. However, Shubman Gill grabbed the opportunity with both hands and scored an elegant 65 off 78 balls with 10 boundaries before getting out to an unfortunate manner to leg-spinner Michell Swepson.
Gill had a 104-run partnership for the second wicket with Mayank Agarwal, who was joined in by Vihari for another half-century stand.
Thereafter, the duo of Vihari and skipper Ajinkya Rahane (was involved in a partnership of 78 runs for the fourth wicket as the Australian bowlers toiled hard for wickets.
Pant walked in to bat after the fall of Rahane's wicket and straightaway played his shots to unsettle the Australian bowlers.
India had earlier bowled out Australia A for 108 to take a first-innings lead of 86 runs on the first day which saw 20 wickets fall during the course of play.
Mohammed Shami and Navdeep Saini grabbed 3 wickets each while Jasprit Bumrah took 2 and Mohammad Siraj got wicket.
Brief Scores: India: 194 and 386 for 4 in 90 overs (H Vihari 104 not out, R Pant 103 not out, S Gill 65; M Steketee 2/54).
Australia 'A' 1st innings: 108 all out in 32.2 overs (Alex Carey 32; Mohammed Shami 3/29, Navdeep Saini 3/19).(UNI)
