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The Times of India
The Times of India
Sport
TIMESOFINDIA.COM

1st Test: India 226/5 at tea on Day 2, lead Australia by 49 runs

Rohit Sharma's ninth Test century put India into the lead by 49 runs at the tea break on day two of the first Test against Australia in Nagpur on Friday.

LIVE UPDATES: Day 2

Rohit was not out on 118, a knock that defied the Australians on a gradually slowing track and took India past the visitors' first-innings total of 177 all out.

The hosts reached 226 for 5.

The classy Rohit, who recorded his ninth Test hundred, was batting alongside Ravindra Jadeja, on 34, with the pair on an unbeaten stand of 58 at the break.

Australia's debutant spinner Todd Murphy took four of the five wickets to fall including star batsman Virat Kohli, caught behind for 12 soon after lunch.

Senior Australia spinner Nathan Lyon spoiled Twenty20 sensation Suryakumar Yadav's Test debut after he bowled the batsman on eight to put India in a spot at 168-5.

But Rohit stood firm and bravely handled the spinners to reach triple figures with a boundary off Murphy, taking off his helmet and raising his bat to the cheering Nagpur crowd.

The captain found an able partner in the left-handed Jadeja, who soldiered on after surviving a few close calls including an lbw appeal by Murphy.

Murphy, an off-spinner who claimed KL Rahul as his first Test wicket on Thursday, trapped Ravichandran Ashwin lbw -- a decision successfully reviewed by Australia -- and got Cheteshwar Pujara caught at short fine leg in the first session.

Rohit started day from his overnight score of 56, but had to be more cautious with his approach on the second day as the track became slower.

(With agency inputs)

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