Ajinkya Rahane scored his third Test hundred. Together with Virat Kohli, he added 262 runs for the 4th wicket. It is the highest Indian partnership outside Asia after Tendulkar and Laxman’s 353-run stand at the SCG in 2004. (Source: AP)

It’s not like Ajinkya Rahane had never pulled a fast bowler for four before. But this one was different. It was off Mitchell Johnson in full tilt. Mitchell Johnson the bully. Mitchell Johnson the leviathan. Mitchell Johnson the fire-breathing dragon, before whose might and ferocity the weary Indian travellers were expected to be burned to the ground.

But here was a shy, quiet boy from the middle-class suburbs of Mumbai taking on the brute from the Australian outback and dealing with him like he was up against one of the many military medium-type plying their trade on the maidans back home. This was more than a pull. It was a back-foot slap, which was felt by both the ball and the bowler.

The quiet front-bencher was taking on the class bully, one who had tried to rag and badger the poster-boy (read: Virat Kohli). This was the revenge of the nerd.

It was not just the multitude of Indians at the MCG that he had got going with his daring enterprise. He had set Bill Lawry off in the Channel Nine commentary box. “Banggg!” screamed Lawry as Rahane sent Johnson’s first ball screaming to the fence. Rahane tried to repeat the shot a second time in as many balls. But found the mid-wicket fielder this time. “Noo! That’s disappointing,” sprang Lawry.

But Rahane was in an overdrive by now. That he was already past his third Test ton was adding to his confidence. Off the third ball, he made room but Johnson followed him, and the right-hander pushed it back to the bowler. Then he stepped away from his stumps again. This time Johnson pitched it full, targeting his stumps but Rahane was ready. Opening the face of his bat, he walloped him to the long-off fence. Rahane the steady Test batsman had morphed into Rahane the Rajasthan Royals basher. Johnson stood in shock. Kohli stood smiling. A more satisfied smile you wouldn’t have seen. It was an assault so audacious it would take even Kohli by surprise. Meanwhile, wicket-keeper Brad Haddin had run down the pitch and had a word with Johnson. “Where do I bowl next?” the left-armer seemed to be asking.

Rahane pushed the fifth delivery of the over. This was Johnson’s 24th. He had already been smashed for over a hundred runs in his spell. He had been taken to task already. Here he was being humiliated. The fastest bowler of his generation was being made a mockery of by probably the most genial and courteous youngster on the international cricket circuit presently.

Then came the final insult. Another short ball with no intent or intensity, and a repeat of the first shot. A disdainful pull, with the bat striking the ball in front of Rahane and sending it scurrying over the mid-wicket fielder. Johnson had exchanged words with the Indian batsmen all day long. But this time, he grabbed his cap and was off towards the boundary farthest from Rahane.

Earlier in the day as well, it was Rahane who had provided India the impetus. The visitors had lost two wickets in succession when he walked into bat. But he teed off right away. Two back-to-back fours of Nathan Lyon, one off a fortunate edge and one punch through the straight field. Then a flurry of boundaries against Josh Hazlewood and Ryan Harris. He scampered to 50 off 60 deliveries. Before long he had caught up with Kohli. He had started his innings in top gear and not bothered to slow down since. The second new-ball had given Australia a sniff. Johnson and Harris had got the ball to move. But Rahane again nullified their challenge with four powerful boundaries off Harris, the fourth a glide over the slips from a short-ball. He then overtook his senior partner to the three-figure mark with another slash towards the third-man fence. The MCG stood and roared in unison, acknowledging an Indian batsman displaying uninhibited aggression.

Eventually, Rahane fell by the sword. He swept Lyon for four, his 21st four of the day. It took him to 147. Smith put a man in for the sweep, bringing the fine-leg finer. But Rahane wasn’t going to back off. Not today. And he went for it again. The ball was fuller than the previous one. It snuck under Rahane’s prostrate left-knee and his bat. It was a borderline call. But umpire Kumar Dharmasena decided to go in favour of his fellow off-spinner. Rahane was out. But by then, he had slayed the mythical dragon.