Ravichandran Ashwin’s 32nd five-wicket haul helped India ease back after Usman Khawaja’s 180 and Cameron Green’s first Test century helped Australia amass 480 runs in their first innings on day two of their fourth Test here on Friday.
In response, India is 36/0 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, with hosts Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill looking calm as they stay undefeated on 17 and 18, respectively.
India is currently behind Australia by 444 runs in their first innings of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy match.
Ashwin pulled a few correct chords in the second session, picking up three wickets to offer India some comfort as Australia reached 409/7 at tea.
In the space of five overs, Australia had lost three wickets for 9 runs, frustrating a lot of the fine work that had been done earlier. Ashwin initially picked up Green, who was about to boost the ante in the second session after hitting a couple of balls. He gloved a sweep against Ashwin, which Srikar Bharat brilliantly caught down the legside.
Ashwin then removed Alex Carey for the seventh time this series by tempting him with a pitched up ball, which he then put into the grasp of Axar Patel at short third man for a duck.
The pumped-up spinner then had Mitchell Starc caught at short leg by Shreyas Iyer with one slipping on.
Notwithstanding the collapse at the other end, Khawaja continued about his monastic business, becoming the first foreign batsman in 13 years to bat 422 balls in an innings in India.
Ultimately, Khawaja was out for 180 against Axar Patel on the first ball after the tea break.
Green batted 170 balls and hit 18 boundaries to score 114.
To India’s dismay, tailenders Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy extended the grind with a 70-run stand for the 9th wicket, but Ashwin finished the job with figures of 6/91.
Australia strengthened their lead in the early session, courtesy of Khawaja and Green.
The visitors reached 347/4 at lunch, with Green batting on 95 and Khawaja on 150, after bowling 29 overs and scoring 92 runs with no wickets lost.
When India battled and skipper Rohit Sharma tried all bowlers, the pair looked incredibly comfortable on a belter of a surface. Khawaja and Green were relentless in their pursuit of the Indian bowlers.
At one end, Khawaja played like a monk, while Green was getting boundaries handed to him by Indian spinners, particularly Umesh Yadav, adding spice to Australia’s stability.
Only until Mohammad Shami bowled, or when Ravindra Jadeja got a few to spin off the rough to Khawaja, did India feel like grabbing a wicket.
Quick Scores: Australia (480) leads India (36/0) by 444 runs (Usman Khawaja 180, Cameron Green 114, R Ashwin 6-91).
