India 36 for 0 (Gill 18*, Rohit 17*) path Australia 480 (Khawaja 180, Inexperienced 114, Ashwin 6-91) by 444 runs
Khawaja and Inexperienced shared an impressive stand of 208, the primary double-century stand by an Australian pair in India since 1979 and simply the fifth general. Khawaja confronted 422 balls over greater than 5 classes to put up the third-highest rating by an Australian in India. He deserved a double-century however fell to one in every of his solely lapses within the innings first ball after tea. Inexperienced struck 18 boundaries in an equally dominant show to shake off the Check century monkey that was beginning to develop right into a gorilla on his broad again.
However Ashwin conjured some magic both facet of tea taking 5 of the final six wickets to complete with 6 for 91 from a relentless 47.2 overs on a pitch providing valuable little help to the spinners in comparison with the raging turners of the earlier three Checks.
Khawaja continued on his merry manner from his first-day century. The serenity of his play was one thing to behold. He was utterly unflustered all through, selecting off dangerous balls with out danger and defending with ease. He by no means appeared in any sort of bother. Each time India’s bowlers erred straight, he tucked them away with chic timing. Any time they erred extensive, he would discover a hole with elegant simplicity.
Inexperienced fed off Khawaja’s power to play one of the best innings of his profession up to now. An elusive Check century had been hanging over his head throughout his first 19 Checks, having didn’t convert six earlier Check half-centuries regardless of having scored eight first-class a whole lot.
He started the day on 49 and moved swiftly via the gears within the opening session. Whereas Khawaja rotated the strike serenely, Inexperienced pummelled something unfastened with eye-catching authority. Each time Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav overpitched, he dispatched them down the bottom both facet of mid-off. Shami examined him with the quick stuff with males again on the fence as he neared the nervous 90s, and he clubbed a devastating pull shot to finish that mode of assault moments after it began.
He was affected person to the spinners, defending solidly on the entrance foot and driving to long-off and long-on to rotate the strike. He went after something fractionally quick and extensive, by no means lacking a lower shot that was supplied. He needed to eat lunch caught on 95 however solely wanted eight balls after the break to have a good time his maiden Check century with Ravindra Jadeja dropping quick and extensive for him to crack it behind level.
Inexperienced appeared set for a large rating, having transformed 4 of his earlier 9 first-class centuries into 150-plus scores together with a 251. However Ashwin’s persistence and willingness to dry him up on a leg-stump line finally paid dividends. Having not swept a single ball in his total innings, he tried to brush a ball properly down the legside and gloved it to KS Bharat.
It sparked a mini-collapse as Australia’s tail threatened to fold cheaply but once more. Alex Carey performed arguably his worst shot of the sequence attempting to hit Ashwin over mid-off fourth ball solely to skew a high edge to quick third. Ashwin made it three wickets in fast succession when he had Mitchell Starc well caught at quick leg by Shreyas Iyer by way of the within edge.
India thought they might wrap the innings up in brief time as per the earlier three Checks however Todd Murphy made his highest first-class rating of 41 with 5 boundaries. The pair added 70 and floor India into the dust as they performed with assuredness and luxury to show how good a batting strip it’s if you’re ready to spend time on the market.
However Ashwin discovered a manner via them with the third new ball, getting two offbreaks to skid on straight, with Murphy trapped plumb lbw and Lyon caught at slip.
Alex Malcolm is an Affiliate Editor at ESPNcricinfo
