IND VS AUS

At a loss of three wickets, India cross 150-run mark

India Australia Cricket India's Ajinkya Rahane plays a shot during the second day of their fourth test cricket match against India in Dharmsala | PTI

Opener Lokesh Rahul scored a stylish half-century before throwing away his wicket as India crossed the 150-run mark for three wickets on the second day of the fourth and final cricket Test.

Rahul looked comfortable during his knock of 60—his fifth half-century of the series—before a sudden rush of blood saw him play a pull shot off a Pat Cummins short ball only to offer a simple skier to David Warner at cover.

Rahul hit nine fours and a slog-swept six off Steve OKeefe and faced 124 deliveries in all.

The duo have added 45 runs for the third wicket in a session that yielded 89 runs for the hosts.

Pujara played some glorious on-drives using his feet against both O'keefe and Nathan Lyon. The half-century came up with a whip through the mid-wicket region as he reaffirmed his status of being India's best batsman in the current series.

The Rahul-Pujara duo added 87 runs for the second wicket to lend solidity to the Indian innings after Murali Vijays (11) early departure.

Rahul was elegant as ever during his innings but his duel with Cummins during the first and second session was worth watching.

With Australia playing on the bounciest of pitches, Cummins was used in short bursts as Rahul showed good technique while swaying away from the bouncers.

The spell that Cummins bowled in the post lunch session was a hostile one but Rahul punched the fast bowler through point region to get a boundary.

However, having left a barrage of short stuff, his patience finally gave away and the mistimed pull-shot was a result of lapse in concentration.

With India playing a batsman short, the dressing room must not have been a very happy place for Rahul for the indiscretion that he showed.

India began slowly during the first hour but courtesy Rahul picked up the tempo during the second hour as they ran well between the wickets and also punished the loose deliveries. The first boundary was an inside out cover drive off Lyon. He did survive a nasty Cummins delivery that flew past the slip cordon.

After initial period of caution, he did take some risks uppishly sweeping Lyon for a boundary as run flow was stopped by the Australian bowlers.

When Cummins bowled one into his ribs, he nicely tucked one off his hips to fine leg boundary. The shot off the day was an on-drive off Cummins that raced to the fence.

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