Vijay ton boosts Rest

Pujaras men take 75-run lead as Rajasthan toil

It was at the M Chinnaswamy stadium Murali Vijay announced his entry into the big league with a hundred against Australia. Almost two years down the line, the Chennai batsman might just have started his walk back into the top league at the same venue.

His unbeaten hundred -- that was also the cornerstone of Rest of India’s 328 for two at close on day two -- came against a pedestrian Rajasthan attack that was further nullified by a benign pitch, could be the magic medicine he has been desperately looking for. Vijay’s knock also ensured that Rest of India, overnight two for no loss, finished the second day of their Irani Cup match against Rajasthan 75 runs ahead.

Vijay had a brilliant opportunity to stay in the range of selectors’ radar when he was picked for three away Tests against the West Indies last year. But the Tamil Nadu right-hander tossed those chances into the Caribbean sea, fading away quickly after the third Test at Dominica.

Since then, it has been largely a struggle for the 28-year-old. Though he scored 556 runs in the last domestic season, Vijay, usually an architect of big scores, had to settle for just one hundred, and even his campaign for Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League failed to produce any bright results.

In that sense, this Irani Cup, the domestic season opener, held massive significance for Vijay. The elegant batsman was in no mood to let go a toothless attack and a pitch as flat as a pancake, conjuring his 10th first-class hundred.

Overnight on nought, Vijay started the day on an auspicious note driving pacer Deepak Chahar — who later went out of the park in the post-lunch session with a left-knee injury —  to long-off fence for a boundary. Vijay was quite fortunate to have a confident batsman like Ajinkya Rahane at the other end, who scored at a good clip to ensure there was no undue pressure on his partner. The opening-wicket pair amassed 173 runs in 47.1 overs, squeezing the spirit out of Rajasthan bowlers. Rahane was equally at ease, and in fact, the Mumbaikar scored at a faster rate than his partner.

Just when the alliance seemed to blossom into something bigger, Rahane lost his wicket after a mix-up with Vijay. Rajasthan’s hopes of making some inroads after Rahane’s dismissal soon dissipated as Vijay and Rest of India skipper Cheteshwar Pujara stitched together another massive partnership for the second wicket.

Already battered by the opening-wicket alliance, Rajasthan bowlers reached a point of desperation as Vijay and Pujara amassed 153 runs off 241 balls, dishing out effortless batting. The hopelessness in the Rajasthan ranks was reflected in their bowlers’ attempt to choke the run flow by bowling a negative line.

Left-arm spinner Gajendra Singh bowled consistently outside the leg-stump that forced the umpires to call a couple of deliveries wide as a measure of warning against deliberate negative bowling. This was also the time Vijay took the foot off the accelerator and take a rather serene route to his three-figure mark, allowing Pujara to dictate terms.

Vijay reached his hundred with a single to long-on off Madhur Khetri, and more importantly, didn’t allow complacency to set in, carrying on to reach 150.

Pujara too looked destined to reach a big score when he was dropped on 57 by Vineet Saxena at second slip off Aniket Choudhary, but the Saurashtra man perished soon, edging the same bowler to stumper Dishant Yagnik. But going by the day’s proceedings, Rajasthan would not have any respite even on the third day.

Score board

Rajasthan (I Innings): 253 all out.

Rest of India (I Innings, O/n: 2/0): Ajinkya Rahane (run out) 81 (201m, 143b, 12x4), Murali Vijay (batting) 151 (394m, 257b, 18x4, 5x6), Cheteshwar Pujara c Yagnik b Choudhary 78 (166m, 140b, 11x4, 1x6), S Badrinath (batting) 1 (13m, 12b). Extras (B-4, LB-2, W-5, NB-6) 17;  Total (for 2 wkts, 91 overs) 328.

Fall of wickets: 1/173 (Rahane), 2/326 (Pujara).

Bowling: Aniket Choudhary 19-5-57-1 (nb-1, w-2), Deepak Chahar 12.1-1-53-0 (w-1, nb-1), Sumit Mathur 15.5-2-51-0 (w-1) Gajendra Singh 24-2-79-0 (w-2), Madhur Khatri 19-1-72-0, Vineet Saxena 1-0-10-0.