Indian batsmen dominated the Day 2 of the second practice match between India and Australia A. Except for Prithvi Shaw – who was dismissed for three – all the Indian batsmen got runs which are great signs ahead of the opening Test. Mayank Agarwal and Shubman Gill showed great composure and scored in excess of 60. The baton was passed onto Hanuma Vihari who bagged the opportunity with both hands and brought up a brilliant ton. He got a potent partner in wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant who played an impressive knock after a long time. The southpaw attacked the bowlers from the outset and scored a fiery century off mere 72 balls. Jasprit Bumrah Has a Lesson for All of Us Following His Maiden First-Class Fifty.

Although Vihari and Pant’s blitzes are great signs for the visitors, the duo has increased headache of the Indian team management. Wriddhiman Saha – who scored a fifty in the first practice game – was all but likely to keep wickets in the Pink-ball Test in Adelaide. However, Pant’s sensational batting form will be difficult to ignore. Not to forget, the left-handed batsman scored 359 runs in four games during the 2018-19 Border Gavaskar Trophy.

Pant's Cracking Century!!

Hanuma Vihari Shines!!

Vihari has also thrown his hat for a place in the final XI, and it will be interesting to see how skipper Virat Kohli and team management will select the final combination. With the opening Test being a Pink-ball game, the visitors might go in with six pure batsmen with Vihari in the XI.

Tomorrow will be the last day of the three-day practice match, and all the Indian players must leave no stones unturned to leave a mark. Saha has to make an impact with the bat while Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini and Umesh Yadav will fight for the third pacer’s slot.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 12, 2020 05:25 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).