Tag: Ahmedabad Test

AHMEDABAD: Opener Usman Khawaja hit a masterful 180 and Cameron Green struck a maiden century before Australia were bowled out for 480 by India on day two of the fourth Test on Friday.

Khawaja’s mammoth knock off 422 balls and his 208-run fifth-wicket partnership with Green put the tourists in the box seat in Ahmedabad.

Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin led the Indian attack, claiming six wickets on a pitch still looking good for batting at the world’s biggest cricket stadium.

India reached 36 for no loss at stumps, still trailing the tourists by 444 runs.

Skipper Rohit Sharma, on 17, and Shubman Gill, on 18, looked positive and attacked the Australian spinners, who bowled five of the 10 overs before close of play.

The opening pair smashed four boundaries between them including a big six by Gill off senior Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.

Khawaja stood out in his marathon knock which ended on the first ball after tea when Axar Patel trapped the left-hander lbw, a decision that was denied by the on-field umpire but successfully reviewed by India.

Todd Murphy (41) and Lyon (34) kept the Indian bowlers frustrated in a 70-run stand for the ninth wicket before Ashwin broke through for his 32nd five-wicket haul in Tests.

Ashwin trapped Murphy lbw before dismissing Lyon to wrap up the innings.

In what has been a low-scoring series, giant all-rounder Green got his first international hundred with a boundary in the second session and was greeted with a hug from Khawaja.

Ashwin snared two wickets in one over after a wicketless first session for the hosts.

He broke the Khawaja-Green stand — Australia’s highest Test partnership in India since 1979 — after he got Green caught behind for 114 off a delivery sliding down the leg side.

Khawaja, who struck his first Indian Test ton on day one and 14th overall, kept up the grind to break the Australian record for longest Test innings in India.

The previous record was Graham Yallop’s 392-ball knock in Kolkata, also in 1979.

Khawaja resumed on his overnight 104 and took charge after Australia elected to bat in their bid to square the series 2-2.

The hosts need a win to clinch the four-match series and secure a berth in the World Test Championship final in June at The Oval.

Steve Smith is captaining Australia in the absence of regular Test skipper Pat Cummins.

Australia’s players wore black armbands on Friday after it was announced that Cummins’ mother had died.

AHMEDABAD: Australian cricket team are wearing black armbands on day two of the final Test against India following the death of regular skipper Pat Cummins’ mother Maria on Friday.

Cummins flew home immediately after the second Test in Delhi last month to be around his mother, who was seriously ill and in palliative care.

Maria died in Sydney overnight, confirmed Cricket Australia in a short statement on Friday.

“We are deeply saddened at the passing of Maria Cummins overnight,” said Cricket Australia on Twitter.

“On behalf of Australian Cricket, we extend our heartfelt condolences to Pat, the Cummins family and their friends.”

“The Australian Men’s team will today wear black armbands as a mark of respect,” it added.

We are deeply saddened at the passing of Maria Cummins overnight. On behalf of Australian Cricket, we extend our heartfelt condolences to Pat, the Cummins family and their friends. The Australian Men's team will today wear black armbands as a mark of respect.

— Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) March 10, 2023

It may be noted here that Steve Smith serves as Australia’s stand-in skipper in the ongoing final Test. He also captained the side during Australia’s eight-wicket win against the home side in the third Test in Indore.

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AHMEDABAD: Opener Usman Khawaja struck the first century of the series by an Australian batsman as the tourists reached 255-4 on Thursday’s opening day of the fourth Test against India.

The left-handed Khawaja, batting on 104, put on key stands including a 79-run third-wicket partnership with skipper Steve Smith, who made 38, to hand Australia a strong start.

After a long grind, Khawaja was batting alongside Cameron Green, on 49, at close of play after Australia elected to bat at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.

The Pakistan-born Khawaja jumped up in joy after he raised the second hundred of a low-scoring series with a boundary in the final over of the day.

India skipper Rohit Sharma hit 120 in the opener, but is now second to the Australian opener, who leads the series batting chart with 257 runs.

Green remained the attacking partner in an unbeaten 85-run partnership with Khawaja that once again stamped Australia’s dominance despite two wickets in the final session.

Travis Head started aggressively and made 32 in a 61-run opening partnership with Khawaja before India hit back with two wickets in the first session.

Khawaja and stand-in-skipper Smith got down to hard work after lunch to wear down the Indian bowlers on a pitch that looks good for batting.

Ravindra Jadeja bowled Smith after the left-arm spinner’s delivery skidded off the turf to get the batsman’s inside and onto the stumps.

Mohammed Shami got his second wicket after bowling Peter Handscomb, but Khawaja kept up the hard work.

Pace spearhead Shami started the match with a wide and Khawaja soon got a boundary.

The pitches in the first three Tests were rank turners, with the highest total being India’s 400 in the opening match.

The left-handed Head took charge to hit a flurry of boundaries including three in one over from pace bowler Umesh Yadav.

Head survived a reprieve on seven when wicketkeeper Srikar Bharat dropped a simple catch off Yadav and the opener added 25 more before being dismissed by Ravichandran Ashwin.

Khawaja attempted to build another partnership, but Shami got Marnus Labuschagne for three, with a delivery that came in and rattled the stumps.

– Modi, Albanese present –

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese were in attendance for the first hour of play at the 132,000-capacity stadium, named after the Indian premier.

A bumper crowd greeted the two leaders before focus turned to cricket as Smith won the toss and named an unchanged XI from their previous win in Indore that kept the series alive at 2-1.

India need a win to clinch the series and secure their berth in the World Test Championship final, scheduled for June at The Oval in London.

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