Axar Patel of India celebrates taking the wicket of Usman Khawaja. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Hello and welcome to Sportstar’s Live coverage of the second day of the fourth Test between India and Australia from the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. This is Mayank and Nigamanth P bringing you all the updates.
Three from Ashwin’s over
After Ashwin’s maiden, Shami comes into the attack to replace Axar. Overstepped and it is a no ball to start off. Short again and it takes an outside edge off Murphy and runs away for a four! Six from that over
Through the line, Lyon smashes it straight but Axar’s reflexes saved it from running away towards the boundary. The short balls have been problematic for the Indian bowlers but they continue to bowl that way. This time Axar goes short, Murphy cuts it square for a FOUR
Another short ball gets the proper treatment as Murphy opens his face of the bat and pushes it towards backward point for a FOUR off Axar Dot to finish
Huge shout from Ashwin as the ball crashes on to Lyon’s pads but the umpire thinks otherwise as it went down the leg. Short and wide, Lyon capitalises and punches it through extra covers for a FOUR to finish the over
Down the leg, murphy helps it towards third man for a double as Umesh makes the save. Three-run over from Axar
Maiden from Ravi Ashwin
Drama straightaway, huge shout against Khawaja as he is caught leg before. Pujara decides to go upstairs and that HAS PAID OFF! THREE REDS AND KHAWAJA HAS TO WALK BACK! He was so close to his maiden double century, so unlucky. Brilliant start to the session for India
We are all set for the thrid session. Indian players walk into the middle along with Khawaja and Starc. Axar will start the proceedings with the ball. Pujara is the stand-in captain as Rohit is off the field for the time being
Our correspondent Shayan Acharya with an update at tea:
Ravichandran Ashwin claimed three quick wickets in the post-lunch session as Australia went into tea at 409-7, with a steadfast Usman Khawaja just 20 runs away from his maiden double century in Tests.
Resuming the proceedings after lunch, Cameron Green scored his first-ever Test hundred with a boundary as Australia continued its dominance. With nothing going India’s way, it looked like a walk in the park for the touring side before Ashwin struck.
As he attempted a sweep, Green was caught down the leg side by stumper KS Bharat, and with that the 208-run stand was broken. The seasoned off-spinner tightened the noose further, removing Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc in quick succession. Despite the Aussies losing three wickets for nine runs, Khawaja stood firm and ensured that the team breached the 400-run mark.
In the 27 overs that were bowled in the session, Australia managed 62 runs, losing three wickets.
Last over before tea. Ashwin gives just three runs off it.
Umesh gives one single. Khawaja slowly but steadily moving close to his double century.
Nathan Lyon is showing tremendous grit here as he is defending well to give Khawaja time to score, another over gone, just one single came in it.
Umesh continues from the other end. Three singles off this over.
Another quite over, only a sinlge coming from it.
Umesh to Lyon, one leg byes run to start the over. Khawaja takes a quick single to bring 400 runs for Australia. This is a really good total first innings total. Two runs comes from this over.
A maiden over from Ashwin. A very tidy over and Ashwin has looked impressive in this spell.
Umesh has been brought back into the attack. He replaces Shami from his end. Umesh to Lyon, FOUR! Lucky boundary for Lyon while he was trying to defend the ball which takes a nick and runs away breaching wicketkeeper and first slip in third man. Five runs from this over.
Ashwin gives one single from his over.
Shami goes over the wicket for Khawaja. He is trying to use the width of the crease to create difficult angles for the batter. Shami to Khawaja, FOUR! the ball was angling in and was going down the leg as Khawaja gets an inside edges which runs to the boundary. Lyon defends the last two balls after Khawaja gives him strike with a single.
Ashwin to Starc, OUT! Gone, another. Starc tries to defend the ball on front foot but the ball gets an edge and Iyer completes a tidy catch at short-leg to give visitors another blow. A wicket maiden for Ashwin. Nathan Lyon joins Khawaja in the middle.
Starc c Shreyas Iyer b Ashwin 6(20)
Shami bowls his heart out in this over to keep batters in check. He persisted with the channel of uncertainty to beat Khawaja a couple of times in this over. Only one single came from it.
Starc confidenally defends four deliveries after Khawaja gives him the strike in the second ball. A single to finish this over as two runs came off it.
Shami comes back into the attack. Only two singles from his over.
Jadeja continues from the other end. Khawaja takes a single off the first ball to give strike to Starc. Starc gets off the mark with a double. Four runs from this over.
Ashwin to Green, OUT! oh gosh, finally a wicket. The ball was going down the leg and Green tries to go for a sweep, the ball takes a faint nick and Bharat this time makes no mistakes to complete the catch. Unlucky Green. In comes Alex Carey at number seven. Ashwin to Carey, OUT! second wicket in this over. Alex tries to clear the fence but instead gives an easy catch to Axar Patel. Mitchell Starc comes at number eight. A double wicket maiden for Ashwin to bring back life in this Test.
Green c Srikar Bharat b Ashwin 114(170); Carey c Axar b Ashwin 0(4)
A lull in this passage of play. Indian bowlers are unable to create any movement off the pitch and both the batters continues to grind out. Another over gone, two runs coming off it.
Ashwin continues from the other end, two singles off his over.
Jadeja to Khawaja, the ball hits the bat as no shot was offered by the batter and umpire does not seemed much interested. A desperate review by Rohit that could not change the fate of Indian bowlers. A maiden from Jadeja.
Spin in tandem continues as Ashwin gives only two singles from his over.
Jadeja gives two runs from his over.
Khawaja takes a single in the last ball to bring up the 200-run partnership for the fifth. This is definitely going to haunt India.
There is no stopping to Green now as he opts for another attacking shot to slam Jadeja for a boundary past mid of covers. This is quality batting by him to put India in big trouble. Six runs came from the over.
Shami continues from the other end. He gives three singles in his first five deliveries before Green drives the full-length ball over extra cover for his 17th FOUR.
Khawaja gets an easy single in the first before Green cuts the outside off ball for a boundary to bring up his first international century. What a player, what an innings. Five runs coming from this over.
Rohit introduces Shami from the other end. Shami is yet to find his rythym after the break. He bowls way outside off for Khawaja and he simply lets it go. Much better line from Shami in the following ball as this time he targets the middle line. Khawaja takes a single on the fourth delivery as Green comes back in the strike, and with this Australia reaches to 350-run mark. Only four run away from his first international century. Only one single off this over.
Ravindra Jadeja starts the proceedings for India after lunch. He told the fourth stump line for Green as he defends the first three deliveries before giving the strike to Khawaja. Two runs comes from this over.
Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green walks out to the middle.
Our correspondent Shayan Acharya reviews the first session from Ahmedabad:
Australia flexed muscles in the first session of the second day, with a steadfast Usman Khawaja and a determined Cameron Green guiding the visitors to 347-4 at lunch.
Khawaja and Green took off from where they had ended the opening day’s play as none of the Indian bowlers could make a mark nor find a breakthrough.
While Khawaja brought up his fifth 150 in Tests with a boundary off Mohammed Shami, a gritty Green dominated the session with a 135-ball-95 and crafting his innings with 13 fours.
Despite Ravindra Jadeja seeming to get a bit of help midway into the first session, he could not break the 177-run strong partnership as Australia added 92 runs in 29 overs without losing a wicket.
Khawaja batted for 479 minutes and took 346 balls to reach his second 150-plus score of the year.
Shami tries to go short, but didn’t get the expected bounce as Green hoks it without trouble for a FOUR! Unlucky yet again. Inswinger from Shami, takes an outside edge and runs past Kohli at third slip for a FOUR! Green is just six away from a ton. Finishes with a dot ball. Session comes to a close, LUNCH BREAK
Just under 10 minutes for lunch and India is still hunting for the breakthrough. Shami has troubled Khawaja with his varying lengths. Khawaja brings up his 150 in style with a FOUR! Short delivery from Shami and Khawaja pulled it behind the wickets as the ball raced away towards the boundary
Jadeja gave away three runs while Axar continues to be economical, giving away just 23 runs in 19 overs.
Green opens his face of the bat, picks the gap between bowler and the mid on fielder to dispatch Umesh’s first ball for a FOUR! Pitched full outside of, Green leans towards the ball and flat bats it through covers for another FOUR! and that brings up the 150-run stand between Green and Khawaja! Very expensive over, back of a length, hint of inswing and Green drives it wthout trouble for aother FOUR!
Finally some turn, Khawaja tries to drive it but it takes an inside edge and misses Bharat behind the stumps and runs away for a FOUR. Another good looking cover drive from Khawaja to collect a double.
Following Jadeja’s maiden, Umesh chips in with a one-run over. Australia’s plan is clear, they are stubborn to not let India bat anytime soon, taking it slow and steady, since the wicket is largely batter friendly as of now.
Ashwin conceded just a run the previous over. Umesh to Green, good length, Green makes room for himself and smacks it through covers for a FOUR. The session so far has belonged to Australia.
Unlucky for Umesh. Bowled five dots on the trot, he pitched it up for Khawaja in the final delivery, took an outside edge and ran past the second slip for a FOUR! And with that Australia has reached 300!
Just one run from Ashwin’s over and its time for DRINKS break
Umesh to Khawaja, on the pads again and he puts it away for a FOUR. Indian bowlers have constantly targetted Khawaja’s pads but he has middled those more often than not. Meanwhile Umesh is struggling to reverse the ball and that is proving costly for India.
Ashwin continues. Slightly fuller, Khawaja gets to the pitch of the ball and slashes it through covers for a single. Two runs from that over
Umesh Yadav is in to bowl his first over of the day, he replaces Axar. Drifting down the pads and Khawaja moves it feet well and flicks it square for a FOUR. Seven runs from that over
Axar yet again bowls a maiden while Ashwin continues to leak runs, three runs from his over. Whenever Ashwin has opted to go short, the batters have found it easy to pick runs.
Ashwin continues. A single brings up the 100-run partnership between Khawaja and Green. Too short for Ashwins liking and Green rocks back and puts it away for a FOUR through extra covers.
Following a maiden over from Axar and a one-run over by Ashwin, Axar continues. Just one run from the over.
Khawaja has been tactically brilliant, he’s been cautious about the ones that are pitched wide while ticking the scoreboard off the straighter deliveries. Maiden from Shami
Absolutely no assistance from the pitch as bowlers are toiling hard. Just one run came from Axar’s over
Shami continues to keep it tight, conceding only one run but the search for a wicket also continues
Axar continues. Green yet again hits it to Jadeja and steaks a quick single, treading dangerously. Just two from the over
Mohammad Shami is brought in, replaces Jadeja. Hint of swing straight away as the ball jagged back in, Green pushes it for a single. SO CLOSE! Pitched outside off, Khawaja tries to defend but it takes an outside edge but falls short of the keeper KS Bharat.
Axar Patel into the attack. Three dots followed by a single. Green steals a quick run, could’ve been dangerous as the ball went straight to Jadeja, one of the best fielders in the world right now. Two runs came from that over
Ravindra Jadeja is asked to bowl the first over of the day. Green gets to his half century with a single! Brilliant partnership between him and Khawaja as they continue to push India backward.
The umpires and the Indian side have stepped in while Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green walks out to the middle.
Dinesh Karthik to the broadcasters: Runs scoring will be a little hard. The pitch will not turn much. The cracks haven’t opened much from the Jio end. There are not too many demons here. Day 2 is going to be a hard graft for the bowlers.
AUS - 255/4 (Usman Khawaja 104* off 251, Cameron Green 49* off 64)
An unwavering Usman Khawaja (104 n.o., 251b, 15x4) hit a boundary through deep square in the last over of the opening day to bring up his second Test century of the year and guide Australia to 255 for four in the fourth Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
On a surface that looked flat and played better than any other in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy so far, Australia won the crucial toss on Thursday and decided to grind the Indian bowlers down. And after a couple of half-centuries in the last two outings, Khawaja braved the scorching sun and batted throughout the day to help Australia gain the upper hand.
As the Indian bowlers struggled in the first hour of play, Khawaja and Travis Head forged a 61-run stand - the highest opening partnership for Australia on the tour. Head was on seven when KS Bharat dropped a straightforward catch, leaving Umesh Yadav frustrated, and making most of the opportunity, the Australian surged ahead.
While Khawaja held fort at one end, Head crafted his innings with seven fours - six of which came off Umesh - before holing out to mid-on, in an attempt to go after R. Ashwin.
India pulled things back as Mohammad Shami struck with his second ball of the second spell, having Marnus Labuschagne chopping on. Two wickets lost in quick succession, the run-flow dried up for Australia as it could score just eight runs in the last 10 overs before Lunch.
However, a calm and composed Khawaja stood firm and a crucial 79-run partnership for the fourth wicket between him and stand-in captain Steve Smith (38, 135b, 3x4) saw Australia dominating the second session. India captain Rohit Sharma tried several bowling options and even brought in Shreyas Iyer for an over, but none could break the partnership.
However, in the second over after Tea, India had a change in fortune as Smith, looking to defend a Jadeja delivery, chopped on. Shami struck again in the first over of a new spell, as he rattled Peter Handscomb’s middle-stump.
Precariously placed at 170 for four with 20 overs remaining in the day, Australia suddenly found itself under pressure. But Khawaja once again built a pivotal unbroken 85-run partnership with the young Cameron Green (49 n.o., 64, 8x4) to turn things around.
Khawaja did not change his approach and played a risk-free innings, while Green hit a couple of boundaries off Umesh to get going.
India’s decision to take the second ball from the 82nd over also helped the visiting team as the ball came nicely on to the bat, allowing Khawaja to score his 14th Test ton and end the day without further slip-ups.
Struggling to play in the sub-continent once upon a time, Khawaja has come a long way and in the last 11 Tests in Asia since 2018, he has managed to maintain an average of 75. Better assessment of the conditions and reading the spinners well seem to have done the trick for the Aussie batter, who has put the visiting team in the driver’s seat in Ahmedabad.
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