Ravichandran Ashwin battled through intense heat and an unresponsive pitch to pick up six wickets but couldn’t prevent Usman Khawaja from scripting an epic 180 and Cameron Green from getting a maiden century as Australia recorded an imposing 480 on the second day of the final Test in Ahmedabad on Friday.
India, in reply, reached 36 for no loss at stumps. Khawaja and Green stitched together a 208-run partnership, the first double-century stand by an Australian pair in India since 1979.
Khawaja faced 422 balls in more than five sessions and his innings included 21 boundaries. His innings ended when Axar Patel trapped him leg before off the first delivery after tea.
Green struck 18 boundaries in an equally dominant display that took the sting out of India’s attack. It was mainly because of their dominant stand that Australia threatened to run away with the game.
While the other bowlers struggled, Ashwin conjured some magic on either side of the tea break, taking five of the last six wickets to finish with 6 for 91 from 47.2 overs. The off-spinner once again stamped his class with his variations that left the batters struggling.
Green, who started the day on 49, was fluent throughout and cashed in whenever India erred in line and length. The all-rounder was seventh-time lucky as before this hundred he had failed to convert six half-centuries.
Usman Khawaja wears a black armband on Friday as a mark of respect, after Pat Cummins’ mother Maria passed away overnight. Getty Images
Playing his 20th Test, Green scored 114 off 170 balls. “You feel more like a Test cricketer when you’ve got that monkey off your back, so it is nice to tick that off in a way. It’s so special,” Green said.
He got a few loose deliveries, especially from Umesh Yadav, which helped him quickly get into the 90s before completing his century. “I think I might have got a bit lucky, I got from 70, to 80, to 90 pretty quickly, so that probably helped a bit, not having too much time to think about it, that’s all.”
Green had a top score of 84 in his previous 19 outings. “It was really special... obviously (being on 95) over the lunch break... that 40 minutes felt like an hour and forty. But I was batting with Uzzy (Khawaja). The whole time, there was experience at the other end,” Green said.
Khawaja did little to change his methods and continued to bat serenely, barely showing discomfort against any bowler. The duo batted through the first session of the day unscathed and stayed together for 378 balls to grind India down.
Just as Green was gathering momentum in the second session, starting off with well-timed drives, he fell gloving a sweep against Ashwin which was taken well by KS Bharat down the leg side. Four balls later, Ashwin dismissed Alex Carey. The inspired spell continued as he had Mitchell Starc caught at short leg. In the space of five overs, Australia lost three wickets for nine runs. But Nathan Lyon put on 70 with Todd Murphy to frustrate the Indians.
Ashwin then got into the act with the third new ball, getting to slide one from round the wicket to get Murphy leg before and then had Lyon an over later nicking to slip.
With PTI inputs
