India skipper Rohit Sharma led from the front b scoring a sparkling hundred as India took firm control at the end of day 2 of the opening test against Australia at at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur on Friday.
Resuming at an overnight score of 77/1, the pair of Rohit along with nightwatchman Ravi Ashwin added 41 more runs for the second wicket before Todd Murphy struck twice before lunch- first by trapping Ashwin (23) leg before wicket, and then Cheteshwar Pujara top edging one to Scott Boland at short fine leg for 7.
The visitors struck again with the very first delivery of the session by claiming former skipper Virat Kohli (12), caught down the leg side by wicket keeper Alex Carey off Murphy while attempting a flick.
Suryakumar Yadav (8) was then cleaned up by Nathan Lyon while attempting an expensive drive, leaving the hosts in a spot of bother at 168/5.
Rohit along with Ravi Jadeja resurrected the innings with a solid sixth wicket stand of 61 runs. The Indian skipper reached his well deserved hundred by lofting Murphy for a boundary over mid off.
The Mumbai Indains star got a reprieve when Steve Smith dropped a catch at second slip off Pat Cummins.
The drop did not prove costly as Pat Cummins cleaned up his opposite number with a peach of a delivery for 120. His knock comprised off 15 fours and 2 sixes.
The 22 year old Murphy claimed his maiden five wicket haul by trapping wicket keeper Srikar Bharat for 8.
The pair of Jadeja (66)* along with Axar Patel (52)* kept the visitors at bay with a frustrating unbeaten 81 run stand for the eight wicket.
Left arm spinner Jadeja got a lifeline when Smith dropped a catch at slip off Nathan Lyon in the final over the day.
At the end of Day 2, India finished at 321/7, with an overall lead of 144.