Virat Kohli (132) and R Ashwin (4-52) shared Day 2 honours for India as CA Chairman's XI dew stumps at 214-7, trailing the visitors by 55 runs here at the Manuka Oval yesterday.


Virat Kohli at Manuka Oval in Canberra yesterday. Pic/Getty images

For the hosts, left-arm spinner John Holland plugged India back from a reasonable 185-4 to 269 all out courtesy of a six-wicket haul, while opener Ed Cowan stroked a breezy century. Tim Ludeman was batting on 15 when stumps were drawn early due to bad light.

Kohli, who began on his overnight score of 55, played some beautiful strokes en route his century before becoming one of Holland's five victims on the day. There was a touch of arrogance in the way he stroked his two sixes -- one either side of the ground. Holland then removed MS Dhoni, Ashwin, Zaheer Khan and Abhimanyu Mithun for morning figures of 5-33 in 9.1 overs.

Later, Ashwin made his first impact on the tour of Australia with the crucial wickets of Cowan, Phillip Hughes, Tom Cooper and Alex Doolan -- on a wicket that took some sharp turn. His spin colleague Pragyan Ojha too toiled away and got the final wicket of the day when he bowled Cameron Boyce.

The highlight of the day came when CA Chairman's XI captain and man-of-the-moment David Warner played and missed at a few Abhimanyu Mithun deliveries before losing his off-stump after a wild heave in the very first over. The Australian contingent at the ground was obviously devastated.