Ajinkya Rahane’s century for India on day two at MCG heaps pain on Australia after dropped catches

The old cliché says that the Test captaincy is the second-most important job in Australia. In India, the stakes are higher again — especially for a man walking in the shadow of global mega-brand Virat Kohli.

With his canny tactical manoeuvring of the first day and again with the bat on day two, Ajinkya Rahane is channelling inconceivable pressures with rare composure.

On an overcast day at the MCG, Rahane batted for all but the first 11 overs, absorbing almost 200 deliveries to make his 12th Test century.

Upon bringing up his milestone, he calmly removed his helmet and acknowledged his teammates with an unpretentious wave of the bat. Rahane’s pulse hardly seemed to quicken all day in the face of often-brilliant bowling, which hints at…