That’s all for today’s blog, so I’ll leave you with a close-of-play report from Ahmedabad. It won’t be easy, not on this pitch, Australia have given themselves a chance of a famous series draw.
Tomorrow is a big day; don’t be late.
Updated
Cameron Green speaks
It probably [hasn’t sunk in] yet. You never know when it’s gonna happen, but I’m incredibly grateful that it did. Uzzy helped me so much out there; to bat with him was really special.
[Why is your record so good on the subcontinent?] It’s probably down to a lack of practice. A lot of junior cricketers in Australia get the chance to go on MRF tours down in Chennai, I went on two or three of those, and that gives you experience that you can’t gain in Australia. Apart from that, I’m not sure! I think we have a really good group of players in the changing room who share their knowledge of previous trips.
It’s a different way of batting. Over here it normally spins a lot, though this one isn’t spinning yet. I don’t make too many [technical] changes – maybe bat on leg stump over here, try to get your pad out of the way; little changes like that.
That’s the benefit of bowling second, you can try to pick things up from how the other team goes about it. It’s a very good wicket so you have to swallow your ego a bit; if you get hit for a couple of beautiful boundaries, so be it. I think it’ll be a holding role for me tomorrow, and let the spinners go to work.
Australia’s 480 all out was built on an immense 180 from Usman Khawaja and a stylish 114 from Cameron Green, his first Test hundred. Ravichandran Ashwin demonstrated his all-weather greatness (okay, all-Asian-weather greatness) by taking 6-91 on a flat deck. The other Indian bowlers managed 4-377 between them.
Right, it’s time to hear from Cameroon Green.
Stumps
10th over: India 36-0 (Rohit 17, Gill 18) That’s the end of a slow but intriguing second day. India trail by 444 runs, and all results are still possible on a pitch that remains very good for batting.
An intrepid supporter has gone looking for the ball, which has disappeared under one of the sightscreen sheets. And he’s got it! He emerges with the ball, raises it proudly to the crowd, throws it back on the field … and then falls over. Tremendous stuff.
Updated
9.2 overs: India 34-0 (Rohit 16, Gill 17) It’s the last over of the second day, in a game India mustn’t lose, and Shubman Gill couldn’t care less about your oldfangled norms. He walks down the track to drive Lyon for the most emphatic straight six.
The ball has been lost, in fact, so there’s a break in play while Australia pick a new one.
9th over: India 28-0 (Rohit 16, Gill 11) Kuhnemann introduces a silly point for his final over of the day, but it’s comfortably played by Rohit and Gill. For all the oohs and aahs after each stroke, everybody on the field knows the ball isn’t yet biting for the spinners.
8th over: India 26-0 (Rohit 15, Gill 10) Rohit walks down the track to work Lyon to long on for a single, and Gill defends the last two balls of the over. It’s all pretty comfortable for India at the moment.
7th over: India 25-0 (Rohit 14, Gill 10) Spin at both ends, with Matthew Kuhnemann replacing Mitchell Starc. He has a slip and short leg for the two right-handers, but there’s no sign of turn yet and the over passes without incident. Australia have three more overs to take the wicket that would turn a decent day into a good one.
6th over: India 24-0 (Rohit 13, Gill 10) After two harmless overs from Cameron Green, Nathan Lyon comes into the attack. He goes straight round the wicket to Rohit, who feels tentatively for the first ball and is beaten on the angle.
The next ball is carved in the air but well wide of short third for four.
“Evening Rob,” says Phil Withall. “Bizarrely, I started my sporting day in your capable hands with Manchester United playing in Europe. Now, a mere 15 or so hours later, I end it with you on the OBO of the cricket. As Steve Smith is a substitute captain, a temporary leader with a fine series of results, would it be a shrewd move for the Australians to continue with a permanent substitute captain for the Ashes series? Sandpaper aside, he’s not done too badly…”
From afar, and purely on sporting merit, he seems like a better option. It’s not going to happen, but the captaincy is an intriguing subplot to the Ashes. Australia have arguably their best option as back-up, while England have not a solitary clue what they are going to do if Ben Stokes’ knee rules him out at any stage.
5th over: India 19-0 (Rohit 8, Gill 10) Rohit hammers Starc to the cover sweeper, a cracking shot for one. The ball, as Harsha Bhogle notes on the TV commentary, is making a beautiful sound off the bat – I reckon it’s about 6.2 on the Punterometer.
4th over: India 18-0 (Rohit 7, Gill 10) Gill cuts and drives Green for a pair of twos. The ball is doing very little, and the early signs are that Australia are in for some seriously hard yakka tomorrow.
3rd over: India 14-0 (Rohit 7, Gill 6) Starc is striving for the classic inswinger to the right-hander, but that always comes with the risk of straying down the leg side. His line is pretty good for the majority of his second over, and Rohit respectfully plays out a maiden.
2nd over: India 14-0 (Rohit 7, Gill 6) Cameron Green shares the new ball. His first ball to Shubman Gill is fractionally short and wide, if that,, and Gill forces a short-arm cut stroke to the point boundary. That was a gorgeous stoke.
India have made an aggressive start, looking to score at least a single off every delivery. The pitch remains an intriguing unknown, but whether it breaks up or not, India know their best chance of avoiding defeat is to go big in the first innings.
“My Ashes XI,” says Daniel McDonald. “Taylor, Marsh, Boon, Smith, M Waugh, S Waugh, Healy, Cummins, McDermott, Hughes, Alderman. I mean, what a win it would be…”
Yes, thanks for reminding me of my first full summer watching cricket. Weird the stuff you remember: I can picture my bedroom on the afternoon of Friday 11 August 1989, flicking back and forth (manually in those days) between Scooby-Doo and the cricket. In which Australia, already 3-0 up in the series, were about 470/2.
1st over: India 7-0 (Rohit 5, Gill 1) There’s almost an Australian review first ball, when Rohit plays around an inswinger from Starc and is hit on the pad. It was comfortably missing leg, but Steve Smith looked very interested for a while. In the end he was advised against it.
Rohit gets off the mark later in the over, flicking elegantly through midwicket when Starc again drifts onto the pads.
“Agree with Greg Wood, except Hazlewood for Boland,” says Pete Salmon. “But no Bancroft – he’s just not a Test player. Where are we now with Will Pucovski? Love to see him in the mix.”
He returned to club cricket last month, I think, and is in the Victoria Second XI squad for a game next week. It’s such a sad story; let’s hope it has a happy ending.
The players are back out on the field, and Mitchell Starc has the new ball in his hand.
There were three stars of that Australian innings. Usman Khawaja produced another serene masterpiece, eventually falling for 180; Cam Green gave the innings impetus and swagger with a memorable maiden Test hundred; and Ravichandran Ashwin bowled masterfully in unhelpful conditions to finish with figures of 47.2-15-91-6.
There’s still loads for Australia to do if they are to square the series, and they really need the pitch to break up, but they’ve given themselves a chance. That’s all an Australian sports team ever asked for.
Updated
WICKET! Australia 480 all out (Lyon c Kohli b Ashwin 34)
Ashwin finishes the job. Lyon edges onto the pads of the keeper Bharat, with the ball looping into the hands of Kohli at slip.
That means India will have to bat for 10 overs tonight.
Updated
167th over: Australia 480-9 (Lyon 34, Kuhnemann 0) Axar Patel, on for Shami, beats Kuhnemann with a delivery angled across from round the wicket. One run from the over, 13 overs to bowl tonight (minus two for change of innings).
“We need to find a replacement for Warner sooner rather than later,” says Greg Wood. “Bancroft is blitzing it in the Shield, had prior Test experience and a great partner in Khawaja. A great time to give him a deserved second chance.”
I think England would fancy their chances against him. Mind you, they used to fancy their chances against Steve Smith.
166th over: Australia 479-9 (Lyon 33, Kuhnemann 0) The new batter Matthew Kuhnemann is beaten by consecutive rippers from Ashwin. He’ll be happier than Ashwin at the sight of the ball turning and bouncing so dramatically, even if India don’t have many left-handers in their batting line-up.
That was an impressive innings from Murphy, a career-best and the fourth highest score by an Australian No10 in Asia. The highest, and the only half-century, is Gavin Robertson’s 59 on debut in that long-forgotten, best-forgotten India tour of 1997-98.
WICKET! Australia 479-9 (Murphy LBW b Ashwin 41)
That’s 32 unforced errors for Richie Tenenbaum five-fors for Ravichandran Ashwin. Murphy pushed defensively down the wrong line at a good delivery that went straight on to hit the front pad. It was given out on the field and, though Murphy reviewed, replays showed it was hitting the outside of leg stump.
165th over: Australia 479-8 (Lyon 33, Murphy 41) Mohammad Shami returns to the well, third new ball in hand, and instantly regrets doing so.
Murphy moves into the frisky forties – and then Lyon chips the ball jauntily back over Shami’s head for four! Crikey, what a cracking shot.
Lyon makes it consecutive boundaries with a confident pull round the corner that almost goes for six. The third new ball is clearly the trigger for a bit of bish-bosh, and Lyon makes it 15 from the over with an inside-edge that flashes past leg stump and goes for four.
164th over: Australia 464-8 (Lyon 21, Murphy 37) Greg Wood has sent in his Ashes XI. “Khawaja, Bancroft, Labuschagne, Smith, Head, Green, Carey, Cummins (c), Starc, Lyon, Boland.
Batting sub: Handscomb. Bowling sub: Murphy.”
Interesting. As an England fan, I can’t decide whether we should want Warner to play or not. I suppose it depends on the pitches – I suspect they will be pretty good, which would make him much more dangerous. England will be thrilled if Josh Hazlewood doesn’t play, although they’re probably still having nightmares about Scott Boland.
163rd over: Australia 463-8 (Lyon 21, Murphy 37) Still no sign of India taking the second new ball. The match is meandering a little, with just a leg bye from Axar Patel’s latest over. On the face of it that suits India, who are 2-1 up in the series, but Australia are committed to playing the long game. There are still almost 300 overs to be bowled on a (theoretically) deteriorating pitch.
162nd over: Australia 462-8 (Lyon 21, Murphy 37) Murphy cracks Jadeja between extra cover and mid-off for a single, the first of three in the over. There are 18 overs remaining tonight, so Steve Smith will be thinking about a potential declaration.
Question All things being equal, and assuming an essentially flat pitch, what’s your XI for the first Ashes Test?
161st over: Australia 459-8 (Lyon 20, Murphy 35) The third new ball is available, though for now Jadeja is continuing with the old one. Murphy cuts a single to bring up a resourceful fifty partnership from 86 balls; this is also now his highest first-class score.
India look weary, both mentally and physically. Time for drinks.
160th over: Australia 458-8 (Lyon 20, Murphy 34)
159th over: Australia 458-8 (Lyon 20, Murphy 34) Axar Patel replaces Shami and starts around the wicket to the left-handed Murphy, who sweeps a poor ball firmly for four and laps two more to fine leg. He’s playing really nicely and has equalled his highest first-class ccore.
158th over: Australia 452-8 (Lyon 20, Murphy 28) Ashwin off, Jadedja on. Murphy misses one cut stroke but nails the second, albeit only for a single.
Lyon survives an appeal for a bat-pad catch, then turns one off the face of the bat that hits the left boot of Shreyas Iyer at short leg. I suppose that counts as a chance, but let’s get real.
157th over: Australia 449-8 (Lyon 18, Murphy 27) That’s how good the pitch is: Lyon has all the time in the world to cart a short ball from Shami over midwicket for four. Even Ricky Ponting rarely pulled that far in front of square.
Murphy gets four more later in the over with a square drive that is fumbled wearily by Ashwin on the boundary edge. These are handy runs for Australia.
156th over: Australia 439-8 (Lyon 13, Murphy 22) Murphy muscles Ashwin through the covers for two more. This pitch is still really good, so Australia’s best friend – certainly in the first innings – is likely to be scoreboard pressure.
155th over: Australia 436-8 (Lyon 12, Murphy 20) Mohammad Shami replaces Axar Patel and starts with a no-ball. Tremendous.
Murphy gets four bonus runs with an edge wide of second slip. One of these days, Mohammad Shami is going to make the Expected Wickets algorithm explode.
There’s a break in play, I’m not sure why. Ah, Lyon is having his arm checked after being hit by that ball from Ashwin.
154th over: Australia 429-8 (Lyon 11, Murphy 15) Lyon survives another LBW appeal after missing a sweep at Ashwin and being hit on the forearm. India have two reviews remaining but Rohit Sharma decides against using one of them. Replays show it was bouncing a long way over the top.
153rd over: Australia 429-8 (Lyon 11, Murphy 15) Lyon crashes the ball back at Axar, who can’t take a very difficult return catch low to his right. He got a touch on it as he fell but it would have been a miraculous catch.
Murphy, who has started his innings breezily, cuts Axar for four to move to 15 from 23 balls. Lyon has 11 from 54.
152nd over: Australia 422-8 (Lyon 10, Murphy 9) “So,” says Michael Barker, “where do you think this match is going?”
I change my mind every five minutes. If it was the first game of the series, I think India would be in a comfortable position, but defeat – and a 2-2 series draw after being 2-0 up – is so unthinkable that it could mess with their heads. If I was forced to bet the farm, I think I’d put it on a draw. What do you reckon?
151st over: Australia 422-8 (Lyon 10, Murphy 9) Murphy squirts Axar past backward point to make it back-to-back boundaries for Australia.
In other news, Usman Khawaja is the world’s leading runscorer in Tests since his recall during the 2021-22 Ashes, with 1608 at 69.91. It’s such a great story.
Updated
150th over: Australia 417-8 (Lyon 10, Murphy 4) Lyon misses a sweep at Ashwin, who goes up for LBW and a potential five-for. Richard Kettleborough says not out, and replays show Lyon gloved the ball onto the pad.
A rare long hop from Ashwin, which must have slipped out of the hand, is slapped to the cover boundary by Lyon.
149th over: Australia 412-8 (Lyon 6, Murphy 3) “Here’s what I think is interesting about Test wicketkeepers,” says Pete Salmon. “Those who are terrible get found out almost immediately. But those who are just a tick below Test quality, as I think Carey is, seem to slowly unravel, the odd missed chance, the stupid shot selection... Which is my way of saying the best are very, very good, and my way of asking who is next in line in 18 months’ time?”
I think he might be around longer than that. This feels like a poor run of form with the bat rather than anything more significant, and generally he has kept well in this series, no?
148th over: Australia 409-8 (Lyon 6, Murphy 0) Now that Khawaja has gone, Australia might as well push things forward. No sign of that yet from Lyon; after another maiden from Ashwin, which includes consecutive false strokes outside off stump, he has 6 from 42 balls.
Updated
147th over: Australia 409-8 (Lyon 6, Murphy 0) That was a slightly odd dismissal, just a lapse in concentration from Khawaja at the start of the session. In essence, he missed a straight one.
That’s only Axar’s second wicket of the series by the way.
WICKET! Australia 409-8 (Khawaja LBW b Patel 180)
He’s out! Khawaja was a long way back and Hawkeye suggested the ball was hitting middle and leg. It ends a truly mighty innings: 180 from 422 balls with 21 fours.
Uzzie is GONE, India with a wise review and the marathon man has to walk for 180.
— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) March 10, 2023
📺 Watch #INDvAUS on Ch. 501 or stream via @kayosports: https://t.co/3kCiokpvCj
📝 BLOG: https://t.co/6tzgc3ZaM1
📲 MATCH CENTRE: https://t.co/fjZZWMg2Qd pic.twitter.com/zUEPwPP1Cn
Updated
India review for LBW against Khawaja! A lively start to the evening session. Khawaja plays around the first ball after tea, a pretty routine delivery from the new bowler Axar Patel, and is hit high on the pad. The umpire isn’t interested so India take matters upstairs. It looks high to me, impire’s call at best for India, but we’ll soon find out.
Updated
And a bit of teatime listening
A bit of teatime reading
Tea
146th over: Australia 409-7 (Khawaja 180, Lyon 6) Lyon is okay to continue, though he has a red mark above his right ear. He works another single to leg, and the ease with which he is playing Ashwin probably isn’t great news. Then again it’s not even tea on day two, so there is plenty for time for the pitch to become more malevolent.
That’s the end of a good session for India: 27 overs, three wickets, 62 runs. Cameron Green completed a charming, stylish maiden Test hundred, but Australia lost their way a little after his dismissal. Alex Carey tried to sprint before he could walk, and Mitchell Starc was soon dealt with by the excellent Ravichandran Ashwin.
Nobody could extract Usman Khawaja from his bubble, though: he will resume on 180 not out from 421 balls, the longest innings of his Test career. He’s a phenomenon.
145th over: Australia 406-7 (Khawaja 178, Lyon 5) Khawaja fiddles another single through backward point. He looks fresher than he has any right to be, although I suppose he is getting used to these epics.
Yadav, possibly out of boredom, decides to give Lyon a bit of rough stuff. One bouncer beats Lyon, then another hits the side of the helmet when he is too early on a pull. He’ll be checked for concussion.
Updated
144th over: Australia 405-7 (Khawaja 177, Lyon 5) Another quiet over from Ashwin. With tea just under 10 minutes away, there’s a whiff of stalemate about this passage of play. Khawaja has 177 from 416 balls, Lyon 5 from 29.
“Does Indian cricket have an off season?” says Peter Moller. “Or is it just play every day?”
It’s not just India – have you seen England’s schedule lately? It might be excessive cheese consumption, but I’m sure I saw Will Jacks playing in a Test in New Zealand and an ODI in Bangladesh at the same time.
143rd over: Australia 404-7 (Khawaja 176, Lyon 5) Not much is happening for Umesh Yadav. There’s a hint of reverse – a suggestion, maybe even a soupçon – but nothing more than that. Three singles from the over; in fact Khawaja has hit only one boundary in this sesssion. That’s not a criticism.
142nd over: Australia 401-7 (Khawaja 174, Lyon 4) Lyon continues to block Ashwin and now has four from 21 balls. There’s an argument that Australia should to be getting on with it, but I quite like this approach. The longer they bat, the less time India get when the pitch is at its most benign.
What they don’t want to do is bat for, say, 157.2 overs and then lose by an innings. Hypothetically I mean.
“I’m also as excited for this Ashes as the 2005 one,” says Andrew James. “It could go either way. Both sides are very evenly matched. Let’s see what the result is, but either way, we’re in for a contest! And that’s the main thing.”
A sentiment Douglas Jardine would surely have shared.
Updated
141st over: Australia 400-7 (Khawaja 173, Lyon 4) Khawaja whips a single to bring up the 400. It’s the first time in this series that Australia have scored 400 in a match, never mind an innings.
India’s body language suggests they aren’t too alarmed by the situation. It’s so hard to know what represents a good score, especially as we’ve no idea if/how much the pitch will deteriorate.
140th over: Australia 398-7 (Khawaja 172, Lyon 4) Ashwin almost slips a straight one through Khawaja, who gets his bat down at the last minute. A maiden. Ashwin is one away from his 32nd Test five-for, which would put him joint-sixth on the all-time list with Jimmy Anderson.
“Pleased to see that Mark has kept up the fine tradition of OBO pedantry by pointing out that polar bears would struggle to disrupt a penguins supper club at the opposite pole,” writes John Atkinson. “I am with you, though, in that it is a pretty line.
“Perhaps we could compromise and it could be seals scattering instead and then everyone would be happy. There has been some slapstick seal-like batting throughout this series so I think it is apt.”
If nothing else, this is a timely reminder that I really should read Penguins Stopped Play.
139th over: Australia 398-7 (Khawaja 172, Lyon 4) Umesh Yadav replaces Mohammad Shami. Khawaja has now faced over 400 balls, which makes this the longest innings of his career and the longest by an Australian batter in India.
Lyon gets off the mark with an outside edge that bounces between keeper and slip for four. I’m not sure it would have carried anyway.
138th over: Australia 393-7 (Khawaja 171, Lyon 0) A quiet over from Ashwin, one from it. Australia are in no hurry, which I think is the right approach despite the natural temptation to chase the game.
137th over: Australia 392-7 (Khawaja 170, Lyon 0) Khawaja flicks Shami wide of the diving Bharat for four more. Since he first opened the batting in Asia, against Pakistan in 2017-18, Khawaja has been a revelation. In fact, no regular opener in the history of the game can match his average in these conditions.
Highest Test average opening the batting in Asia (min: 10 innings)
79.00 Usman Khawaja (Australia, 2018-23)
69.07 Mayank Agarwal (India, 2019-22)
62.62 Taslim Arif (Pakistan, 1980)
62.33 Azhar Ali (Pakistan, 2014-16)
61.70 Abid Ali (Pakistan, 2019-21)
The next highest overseas batsman is Geoff Boycott, who averaged 58.83 (and played a bit of golf) between 1977 and 1982.
136th over: Australia 387-7 (Khawaja 165, Lyon 0) That’s Ashwin’s fourth wicket; even on a flat deck, he has admirable figures of 36-10-77-4.
“Hi Rob, what’s your feeling for the upcoming Ashes?” writes Andrew James. “Who would you say are the big players of the tournament right now?”
Where do you start? Ben Stokes is the most important, as captain more than anything, but you can make a case for pretty much everyone on both sides. Don’t know about you but I haven’t been anywhere near as excited about an Ashes series since 2005. It’ll be fascinating to see what type of pitches England prepare – they nobbled Australia on slow seamers in 2015, and usually that suits them better, but this time I think they’ll go for flatter decks. One thing’s for sure: it’ll be testosterone cricket.
Updated
WICKET! Australia 387-7 (Starc c Iyer b Ashwin 6)
It is happening again. Starc thick-edges Ashwin straight to short leg, where Shreyas Iyer takes a smart catch, and out of nowhere Australia have lost three wickets for nine runs.
Starc is the next to fall.
— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) March 10, 2023
Can Australia reach 400 at this point?
📺 Watch #INDvAUS on Ch. 501 or stream via @kayosports: https://t.co/3kCiokpvCj
📝 BLOG: https://t.co/6tzgc3ZaM1
📲 MATCH CENTRE: https://t.co/fjZZWMg2Qd pic.twitter.com/OeMtjzy7VN
Updated
135th over: Australia 387-6 (Khawaja 165, Starc 6) Shami beats Starc with a beauty that straightens just enough. I thought it was off the seam, but the commentators – who are marginally more qualified – are saying it was the reverse swing. Starc mimicks the shape with his glove, possibly with his bowling head on, then plays down the wrong line of the next delivery as well. A typical luckless Shami over concludes with Khawaja playing and missing twice outside off stump. I
“Nope,” says Mark, “penguins and polar bears really don’t mix, what with living at different ends of the earth and that.”
Let’s not allow semantics to get in the way of a good line.
134th over: Australia 386-6 (Khawaja 165, Starc 5) Khawaja carries on serenely, driving Ashwin for a single. As Gideon Haigh and Peter Lalor pointed out today on their marvellous podcast Cricket, Et Cetera, there’s something so peaceful about watching Khawaja bat, even more so in the context of such a frenetic series.
Thanks Angus, evening everyone (says the man sitting at his best at 7.44am in the UK). It’s been a strange series for Alex Carey – largely immaculate with the gloves, frantic and increasingly desperate with the bat. That was such a needless dismissal, one that could be very costly as the match unfolds. I still think Australia’s best chance of victory is/was to bat relatively patiently, even if it meant going into day three.
133rd over: Australia 384-6 (Khawaja 163, Starc 4) Funny game, this. Not even a hint of a wicket for hours on end and then two fall in the space of a few balls. Usman Khawaja has maintained concentration for 390-odd balls. but Alex Carey can’t last four deliveries without a rush of blood to the head. Speaking of which, I need a break after all that activity. Fresh and raring to go is OBO master Rob Smyth. I thank you for your time today and wish yers all adieu. I will see you on the morrow. Good luck, Rob!
132nd over: Australia 382-6 (Khawaja 163, Starc 4) Mitchell Starc strides to the wicket to face Jadeja and clobbers a four from the get-go after a few minutes of reckless play by Australia. First, the sweep shot undoes Cameron Green on 114 then Alex Carey has a brain explosion and slogs at an Ashwin spinner on 0 trying to put it down the ground but only succeeding in putting it straight up in the air for an easy catch.
WICKET! Alex Carey c. Patel b. Ashwin 0 (Australia 378-6)
Just as we were wondering what the mindset would be for new batter Alex Carey he shows us it will be impetuous. He holes out to Axar Patel with a crazy swipe to give Ravi Ashwin two wickets in the over. That was plain dumb from Carey. He’s a better batter than that but he won’t get a chance to show it here.
Updated
WICKET! Cameron Green c. Bharat b. Ashwin 114 (Australia 378-5)
Finally a wicket! Green bent low to sweep Ashwin and the ball stayed low, grazed the bottom of the glove and wicketkeeper Bharat took the catch. Sweet relief for India.
Updated
129th over: Australia 374-4 (Khawaja 162, Green 114) As two runs trickle from the Ashwin over, it’s tempting to think things are drifting. But this is real Test cricket. For the first time in this series bat is dominating ball and, beautiful as that is, it’s also a tad unsettling in a series that will live in infamy for its doctored pitches, batting collapses and spinning massacres. After all that clamour, it’s lovely to have the zen majesty of Test cricket return and not have balls spinning at crazy angles, wickets falling in a clatter and batters coming and going from the pavilion like penguins scattering when a polar bear crashes the supper club.
128th over: Australia 374-4 (Khawaja 160, Green 112) An appeal from Jadeja from the final ball of a maiden over but it looks desperate… but India captain Rohit Sharma is bored, and shiftless so why not? Our first review of the Test is here! Khawaja thrust the pad at it but it looked way outside the line. Sure enough the review shows it pitching way outside off stump.
127th over: Australia 374-4 (Khawaja 160, Green 112) Swing and a miss! Cameron Green liked the look of that luscious lolly from Ravi Ashwin and took a huge stride down to slog sweep over square leg. But Ashwin was too cunning for him, slowing down its trajectory a fraction and leaving the big fella floundering. Still, that bodes well for some fireworks in the next hour and it’s that instinct for big hitting that has made Cameron Green the Three Million Dollar Man in this year’s IPL. Australia take two from the first over of Ashwin’s new spell.
126th over: Australia 372-4 (Khawaja 159, Green 111) Khawaja continues to bat like a man without a care in the world. All that time in the cricketing wilderness have gifted him a zen temperament that has reaped him rich rewards these past few summers, bringing mountains of runs but also a deep happiness it seems.
125th over: Australia 370-4 (Khawaja 157, Green 111) With this recent flurry of boundaries and the slow steady drip of singles all day, Australia’s run-rate is nearing three per over for the first time in the innings. And with a final single from the over, the Khawaja-Green partnership reaches 200 from 326 balls. What a union it’s been. The zen elder statesman and the raw young prodigy are grinding India into the Ahmedabad dust.
124th over: Australia 368-4 (Khawaja 156, Green 110) Over the top! Jadeja threw down the gauntlet with a fuller ball and Green picked it up with gusto, dropping to one knee and driving powerfully over the infield to find the boundary. Six runs from the over and Australia closing on a total of 400 quickly.
123rd over: Australia 362-4 (Khawaja 155, Green 105) A moment to cherish for Cameron Green in the last over. A moment to forget in this one as Usman Khawaja decides to take a risky single from the fourth ball of Shami’s over and has to really motor to beat the throw. That was too close for comfort! Three from the over.
Updated
122nd over: Australia 355-4 (Khawaja 153, Green 101) What a lovely moment for Cameron Green. He’s toiled hard throughout his 20 Tests, those broad shoulders bearing the weight of a nation’s hopes that he might be the allrounder the nation has craved since the heady days of Keith Miller in the 1940s and ‘50s. He has made runs and taken wickets, and proven the best fielder in this Australian side. He has fought back from injury countless times – stress fractures in his back as a teenager and a broken finger over the home summer – but until now a Test century had eluded him. No more. He’s part of the ‘100 Club’ now.
A CENTURY FOR CAMERON GREEN! (Australia 355-4)
A great moment for the young man and a great shot to bring up his maiden Test century. Jadeja tossed it up and the big 200cm West Australian leaned back and square cut it to the boundary with the mix of beauty and brutality that has made him the wunderkind of Australian cricket. His 100 comes from 144 balls.
Updated
121st over: Australia 350-4 (Khawaja 152, Green 96) India in trouble. Can Mohammed Shami dig them out of strife with an inspired spell of fast bowling? The 32-year-old quick from Amroha has been the most willing of India’s warriors so far. With 223 Test wickets at 27 he’s shown he can be the spark his side need but he’s up against two batters who have looked imperious so far. But Cameron Green is one stroke away from a maiden century – surely that adds some pressure? Can India exploit the young man’s nerves and strike?
120th over: Australia 348-4 (Khawaja 150, Green 96) And we’re back. Cameron Green has the strike to Ravi Jadeja and after three dots he moseys a single to get within four runs of that tantalising ton. The wonderboy allrounder is in his 20th Test and averaging 34 but a Test century has thus far remained out of reach. Is today the day?
LUNCH: Australia 347 for 4 (Khawaja 150*, Green 95*)
Fantastic session for Australia! They have added 92 runs to the 255 they scored yesterday and done it without risk – and without losing a wicket. The Cameron Green-Usman Khawaja partnership has blossomed to 177 from 290 balls – the biggest of the series so far – and looks unbreakable. Usman has his eyes on a double-century and Cam Green is chasing the first ton of his Test career.
India are rattled and it’s starting to show. Lose this Test and they lose face in the eyes of their adoring fans and risk missing out on the World Test Championship final berth that seemed set in stone when they destroyed Australia in the first two Tests. Without talismanic captain Pat Cummins, the Australians have shown huge character to fight back when all seemed lost, calmly changing their team and cleverly adapting their batting to the conditions.
After shocking India in Indore to get the ledger back to 2-1, Australia now have India on the rack in this final Test. Can they roll on here and bat the home side out of contention? Or will India’s master spinners rediscover their mojo to clean up this innings and unleash Virat Kohli and co for a little batting carnage of their own?
Rejoin us in a hot half-hour and we’ll find out!
119th over: Australia 347-4 (Khawaja 150, Green 95) A bouncer? A boundary! Mohammed Shami tested the youngster and Cameron Green answered in style, swiping that attempted lip-tickler to the deep square leg boundary in a flash. How will Shami respond? He bangs it in again and Green edges… but it flies wide of Virat Kohli at slip and runs away to the third man boundary. Green takes a single and a breather, content to go to lunch with his highest score banked and a first Test ton in sight. That’s nine runs from the over and we will go to Lunch.
118th over: Australia 338-4 (Khawaja 150, Green 86) Cameron Green takes an easy run from the first ball of Axar Patel’s 20th over. Patel has just one wicket for the series so far albeit at an economy rate of 2.18 – a far stretch from the 27 he took in the series against England in 2021. He’s gone from feast to famine here.
117th over: Australia 337-4 (Khawaja 150, Green 85) Fifteen minutes until lunch. Will Cameron Green go better than run-a minute to notch his ton? Or will senior man Khawaja urge caution? Mohammed Shami has returned to the fray to stop either eventuality and it is a bouncer first ball. Khawaja calmly veers away and watches it pass under his chin but that’s better intent from Shami and India. They need to shake Australia up and a little chin music might do the trick. Neither batter appears remotely fazed, running easy singles before Khawaja swivels on another attempted short ball to steer it to the fine leg boundary. That’s Usman Khawaja’s 150! It came from 346 deliveries at a strike rate of 42.
116th over: Australia 331-4 (Khawaja 145, Green 84) Axar Patel is back in the attack. He hasn’t taken a wicket but he’s been the Scrooge McDuck of spinners so far, with just 21 taken from his 18 overs. Khawaja and Green add another three singles though to make it 0-23. That gets Green to 84 – his highest Test score.
115th over: Australia 328-4 (Khawaja 143, Green 83) Khawaja carves a lovely three through deep backward point from Jadeja. Australia are really putting the foot down now. Sharma has called a council of war in the middle, three lieutenants in thee huddle including Virat Kohli. What are they planning?
114th over: Australia 325-4 (Khawaja 140, Green 83) CRACK goes Cam! Umesh Yadav should know better than to put it into Green’s fun zone but, sure enough, first ball of the over he hurled it down into that sweet spot outside off and Green unfurled a lovely drive down the ground. That felt good, Green thinks, I might have another. So fourth ball he gets down on one knee and slaps another boundary through covers. That brings up the 150 partnership – the highest of the series so far. It’s so monumental an achievement Green celebrates afresh giving the full welly to a full ball and sending it scorching to the long off boundary. Three boundaries in the over! Green suddenly has 83, one short of his highest score, the 84 against India a few summers back in Sydney.
Updated
113th over: Australia 311-4 (Khawaja 140, Green 71) Finally some spin! That first ball from Jadeja ripped out of the rough outside Khawaja’s off stump and jagged back to bounce high up on the inside edge and fly over leg stump and past the wicketkeeper for a lucky four! Khawaja knows how fortunate he was to survive that delivery and so unleashes his first reverse sweep of the day to celebrate. Six runs from the over. Is this Ahmedabad pitch about to come alive for India?
112th over: Australia 307-4 (Khawaja 134, Green 71) The Uzzie-Cam partnership is at 137 from 246 balls and the temperature is climbing at Narendra Modi Stadium. Most hot on the collar are India who are sweating bullets at not claiming a wicket today, all while licking their lips at what looks a wonderful batting pitch. Australia know it too. They will keep going while the going is good and bat as long as they can, I suspect. India won’t get a chance to bat until they get six wickets and that seems light years off at the moment. Just a single from this Yadav over.
111th over: Australia 306-4 (Khawaja 133, Green 71) Ravi Jadeja has been brought back to conjure a wicket or, at the very least, dry up the runs. We’ve had 50 of those from the 20 overs so far today, none carrying any risk but all hard-earned. Jadeja starts with a maiden.
110th over: Australia 306-4 (Khawaja 133, Green 71) Bang goes Green! Yadav tossed his first ball up full and fast and it landed in that sweet spot outside off stump and Cameron Green simply leaned that 200cm frame into the line and brought the bat down with natural power and precious little effort. Lovely shot! It skates across the baize to the boundary to take Green to 70. Umesh now has 0-82 from his 19 overs but I doubt his baby daughter will love him any less.
109th over: Australia 301-4 (Khawaja 133, Green 66) If Ravi Ashwin can’t get Usman Khawaja out, who can? That’s the furrow in captain Rohit Sharma’s brow at the moment as one run comes from the over and Australia start the climb to 400. With these two batters looking utterly untroubled, you wouldn’t bet against such a total. But if the previous Tests have proved anything, it’s that things can change very quickly in India.
108th over: Australia 300-4 (Khawaja 133, Green 65) Can the poetry of Harry Styles and the power of watermelon sugar alchemise for India in the form of a wicket? We’re about to find out. Umesh Yadav is back for another over, despite 15 runs being plundered from his first two. But he’s a soldier, Umesh, having played the third Test despite the death of his father in the hours before it began. Thankfully, as one door closed another opened, and Umesh is playing this Test as a new father, having welcomed a little girl into the world a couple of days ago. Congrats Umesh! And congrats Australia – the 300 is up.
Updated
107th over: Australia 296-4 (Khawaja 129, Green 65) The Khawaja-Green partnership is now worth 125 from 213 balls and its tempo has lifted of late, as Umesh Yadav’s first two overs of the day have gone for seven then eight. Normally Rohit Sharma would turn to his main man Ravi Ashwin but the wily warrior hasn’t provided the breakthroughs that he has in the three previous Tests. Just one run from this Ashwin over. That will be the first hour’s play done and time for Drinks – and chunks of watermelon for the India players.
Updated
106th over: Australia 295-4 (Khawaja 128, Green 65) Green ambles a single from Yadav’s first ball and leaves Khawaja to prod a simple deflection behind square. There’s a fielder in the outfield chasing but it’s perfectly placed timed and runs into the rope for Khawaja’s second four of the morning and 17th of the innings. Another fistful of singles makes it eight from the over. Australia accelerating.
105th over: Australia 288-4 (Khawaja 123, Green 62) Green resists temptation! Ashwin is trying to lure him to uncoil one of those big cover drives or hit high and long down the ground. But the big fella from Subiaco-Floreat won’t throw away his wicket that easily. After seven Test fifties he wants that debut century badly and today would be a magnificent day to notch it. He takes a single to keep things moving.
104th over: Australia 285-4 (Khawaja 122, Green 61) Sharma makes a change. It will be Umesh Yadav coming into the attack. Will a faster ball onto the bat tempt Green to swing lustily as he did yesterday? Yadav, a coal-miner’s son whose aspirations to be a policeman fell away when he answered the call as a fast-bowler, starts the day with 0-58 from his 15 overs. After singles from the first two deliveries Khawaja opens his stance a little to the third, leans away to a straighter ball and punches it to the on-side boundary. That’s Khawaja’s first boundary of the day – a testament to the patience of the man. He has now faced 305 balls! Seven runs from Yadav’s first over.
103rd over: Australia 278-4 (Khawaja 116, Green 60) Khawaja picks off another run, guiding Ashwin to point. This pitch has shown no signs of life so far. Or is it the new ball India took so presciently last night? Perhaps Rohit Sharma has run out of ideas? The bowling has been frugal this morning but toothless. Sharma has fielders at deep mid-off and long-on for the drive but just the one slip, a sure sign he’s prepared to buy a wicket on this benign surface. Green and Khawaja each add another to their total.
102nd over: Australia 275-4 (Khawaja 114, Green 59) Australia have added 20 this morning and the run-rate is slowly climbing to 2.70 but after a boundary and two singles in the last Ashwin over, the dry spell returns as Axar Patel delivers a maiden.
101st over: Australia 275-4 (Khawaja 114, Green 59) Ashwin versus Khawaja, duelling under bright skies in heavy heat. Finally, we get the single that brings up the century partnership between these two. Well done! And the waiting game is over for Cameron Green as Ashwin drifts one fuller and faster outside off and Green leans back and carves off a magnificent square cut to the boundary. That’s our first boundary of Day 2 and it’s a ripper. Green steals a single off the last ball too to make it six from the over.
Updated
100th over: Australia 269-4 (Khawaja 113, Green 54) It’s the 100th over. Will it be the 100 partnership between Khawaja and Green. The former does his bit, moseying a single from the first ball to get the union to 99 but Cameron Green doesn’t care for the numerical symmetry and flat bats the next five for no run. Bah!
99th over: Australia 268-4 (Khawaja 112, Green 54) Here comes the Master. With nothing much doing and runs slowly piling up, Rohit Sharma turns to his champion Ravi Ashwin, the 92-Test marvel with 467 wickets to show for them. Ashwin starts the day with 1-57 from his 25 overs and only the scalp of Travis Head hanging from his belt. It’s a tight start from the 36-year-old charmer from Chennai but Khawaja picks off a single from the last ball.
98th over: Australia 267-4 (Khawaja 111, Green 54) With 19 runs from his 15 overs so far, Axar Patel has been miserly. But that said, he’s yet to bag a wicket. Green hasn’t opened those shoulders this morning. Instead he’s getting low, eyes over the landing spot and playing straight. Another maiden over.
97th over: Australia 267-4 (Khawaja 111, Green 54) We didn’t get the record crowd mooted yesterday and we won’t get it today either. From early vision of the ground it seems like the entire top tier of the 132,000-capacity stadium is empty and the lower decks are pretty sparsely populated too. Not a lot to cheer for the home side yet as the Australian batters pick up where they left off, working singles with ease as they wait for a bad ball to blast into the crowd. Nojne here from Shami who is bowling tightly and now notches a maiden.
96th over: Australia 266-4 (Khawaja 111, Green 54) Khawaja plays out five sultry dots from Axar Patel before the bowler drifts one onto his pads and is clipped away for a run. Patel is wearing lurid pink-rimmed sunglasses today and my 13-year-old daughter wants a pair.
Updated
95th over: Australia 266-4 (Khawaja 110, Green 54) Like a suited gent on his way to the office pausing to flick a bug off the footpath with his umbrella, Khawaja strolls down to pick Shami’s full pitched delivery off his toes. The bowler has found his line though and there’s only a quick single to be found. Cam Green gets that elbow up nice and high to drive down the ground but after the carnage he wrought with that shot yesterday, India captain Rohit Sharma has cannily placed a man at mid-off today to stop the stroke.
94th over: Australia 265-4 (Khawaja 109, Green 54) Axar returns. Although he’s still averaging over 90 with the bat, he’s had a dry run with the ball in this series and has none-for from his 14 overs so far albeit with only 18 runs taken from them. Australia keep things ticking over with a couple more singles.
93rd over: Australia 260-4 (Khawaja 107, Green 52) Fast but loose! Shami strays onto Green’s legs and is eased away for a strolled single. The Australian run-rate is at 2.84 but Green, with eight boundaries, accelerated that significantly. Shami wasn’t awed and even tried to up the ante in return by bouncing Green. He really had to bend his back to find the top of Green’s 198cm frame though. Easy pickings from Shami so far this morning though as the Australians pick off three singles from the over
92nd over: Australia 260-4 (Khawaja 107, Green 51) Khawaja dabs Patel to point and Cameron Green slams one down the ground. Different strokes, identical results – a single on each occasion. The crowd is roaring as Mohammed Shami, the pick of the bowlers yesterday with 2-65 from 17 overs, takes the ball for the third over of the day.
91st over: Australia 258-4 (Khawaja 106, Green 50) Here we go, folks. Day two is about to get underway and it will be Ravi Jadeja to Usman Khawaja. And it’s business as usual as Khawaja glides a single to third man giving 23-year-old allrounder Cameron Green the chance to notch one too and bring up his seventh Test half-century. Is today the day the big fella brings up three figures at last (his best to date is 84)? And with a push to mid-off he gets his fifty. Well played, young man! Khawaja takes another run off the last to retain strike to… Axar Patel.
Updated
Aside from the cricket, the other talking point was the bizarre curtainraiser act of ‘Albo ‘N’ Modi’ and their enormous Fury Road-Iron Throne stadium scooter…
Updated
To everyone’s surprise, the Narendra Modi Stadium pitch that was the subject of so much conjecture and subterfuge in the lead-up to this Test, played truly yesterday. After some wild bowling from the India seamers early, it settled down into a ripe batting wicket as the bowlers struggled to find both bounce and spin, particularly as the day wore on and the ball softened. Mohammed Shami was the pick of the bowlers with two crucial wickets, including a peach to send Peter Handscomb’s off stump cartwheeling out of the ground. Shami will need more of those if India are to uproot Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green this morning. Khawaja played just two sweep shots in his 104 and barely a false stroke all day.
Very sad news today – heartfelt condolences from the OBO to Pat Cummins, whose mother Maria passed away in Sydney. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Cummins clan. The Australian team will take the field in Ahmedabad today wearing black armbands in their honour.
For those who came in late, here’s how Geoff Lemon saw Day One…
Preamble
Namaste cricket fans! Welcome back to Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad for day two of the fourth Test between India and Australia in the 2023 Border-Gavaskar series. I’m Angus Fontaine and I’ll be calling the action for you for the next few hours.
India lead the series 2-1 but Australia won the battle yesterday, thanks to Usman Khawaja’s sublime unbeaten century – his 14th in Tests and the first by an Australian in this series. The 36-year-old opener got good support from Travis Head, Steve Smith and Cameron Green who resumes today on 49 alongside Khawaja on 104 and Australia sitting pretty at 255-4.
India looked frazzled yesterday. After a surreal and protracted lap of honour for India Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australia PM Anthony Albanese, Rohit Sharma’s men bowled loosely and Travis Head merrily put them to the sword. Given a life on 7 by wicketkeeper KS Bharat, Head walloped 32 before wobbling a catch to Ravi Jadeja. Marnus Labuschagne inside-edged onto his stumps soon after, and Steve Smith – the subject of growing retirement rumours – did likewise for 38. At that stage, it was anyone’s game.
But after Peter Handscomb blazed brightly and briefly, 60-Test veteran Khawaja and 20-Test wunderkind Green stylishly steered Australia to safety and, ultimately ascendency in this Test.
In Australia’s last two Test tours of India, Khawaja couldn’t make the XI, derided for averaging 14.62 from five Tests in Asia and written off as a bunny against spin. But Khawaja jolted that perception with 85 and 141 v Pakistan in Dubai in 2018, and then squashed it on the tour of Pakistan last year by peeling off 160, 44 not out, 91 and 104 not out in the land of his birth.
Here in India, after being dismissed on the third ball of the series for 0, the Islamabad-born, Sydney-raised Queenslander has been Australia’s most reliable batter, with 81 in Delhi and 60 in Indore. Yesterday’s 104* was his masterpiece. Khawaja survived 251 deliveries (the longest innings of the series) and hit 15 fours to become the leading run-scorer on both sides.
After averaging 14.62 in his first five Tests in Asia, Khawaja now averages 74.60 from 11 Tests since. Since his his return to the Test side last year, he has stroked 1532 runs at 69.63 in 16 Tests. Nobody in world cricket has accumulated more runs in the last 14 months. And did we mention that Khawaja also now boasts the highest batting average for an opener in Test history with 68.38?
But enough from me. Here’s someone who sings Usman Tariq Khawaja’s praises far more eloquently…
Updated
