Visitors Australia put up a massive total of 480 runs against India on Day 2 of the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar series in Ahmedabad on Friday.
Aussies Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green were in the thick of things as the pair scored a century each before India bundled out the touring side thanks once again to the crafty spin of Ravichandran Ashwin.
“Pitch was good to bat. The square here has been a lot fresher than what we got earlier. We expected the wicket to play well but not as slow as it did”, Ashwin said at the presser following the end of play on the second day of the fourth Test.
“My spells have been much more penetrative than they were in Bangladesh”, he said reflecting on his performances in the neighbouring country towards the end of 2022, in which India claimed a 2-0 win over the Bangla tigers.
Ashwin further stated that the “Pace off the pitch allowed batters to play off the backfoot,” at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
The spinner from Tamil Nadu claimed six wickets in the first innings including that of centurion Green, who made an awe-inspiring 114 runs off the 170 deliveries he face before falling prey to the Chennai bowler.
“The IPL auction tells you how the Indian fraternity rates Cameron Green, he is a once-in-a-generation cricketer”, Ashwin heaped praise on the 23-year-old who got his maiden Test ton in Ahmedabad.
Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill saw the day’s play out as the hosts ended Day 2 at 36 for no loss before the umpire could knock down the bails.
India trail the visitors by 444 runs and will have to deliver with the willow to pile runs on the scoreboard, putting the tourists under pressure.
“We need to bat really well, get a good score on the board. I will be cheering the batters on”, Ashwin asserted.
India lead the four-match Test series 2-1 following their wins in Nagpur and Delhi. But, Australia managed to pull one back with their statement win in Indore that assured their place in the World Test Championship final.
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