Rahane’s ton takes India to 326/8 at lunch on Day 2

The 27-year-old opened up after reaching the three-figure mark, once hitting offspinner Dane Piedt for two sixes in an over – over mid-wicket and long-off.

India have already wrapped up the series, leading 2-0, with interest in the fourth Test centring on whether they can avoid defeat to confirm their move up to second place behind South Africa in the Test rankings.

Middle-order batsman Ajinkya Rahane picked from where he left yesterday to register his first Test hundred in India.

A counter-attacking 44 from 62 balls by captain Kohli helped get the home side’s innings going before he fell in unfortunate fashion, hitting a sweep shot into Temba Bavuma at short leg on the full, with the ball ricocheted up in the air for wicketkeeper Dane Vilas to take the catch.

A soft dismissal ended Rahane’s sparkling knock with the batsman driving Tahir to AB de Villiers at cover before trudging off to a rousing ovation. And perhaps the session would have panned out differently had Hashim Amla held on to a chance, albeit a tough one, early in the session when Kyle Abbott had Ashwin edging to slips. The second Test in Bangalore was washed out after the first day’s play.

Rahane frustrated the visitors in the final session, putting on 59 for the seventh wicket with Ravi Jadeja (24), and an unbroken 33 with Ravichandran Ashwin (6no) for the eighth, with Piedt denied a maiden Test five-for on three occasions.

Kohli and Rahane had embarked on a fluent 70-run stand when the India skipper suffered his moment of misfortune before Rohit Sharma and Wriddhiman Saha quickly followed on the cusp of tea. He was unbeaten on 53 runs when the teams went in for lunch. “The way they have batted in Sri Lanka and also in this series, it’s a positive for us”.