Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green’s partnership in Ahmedabad blew India away in unforgiving conditions in the fourth Test.
Resuming on 4/255, the pair put on 92 runs before lunch without the loss of a wicket – the second wicketless session for the series following on from the afternoon session on Day 1 – with the focus on continuing to slowly accrue runs rather than look to up the ante.
Khawaja moved to 180 before he was dismissed while Green, who headed to the break unbeaten on 95, reached his maiden Test century shortly after the resumption, finishing on 114.
With the pitch offering nothing for the bowlers, the match could be headed for a draw with India’s openers resuming on day three 444 runs in arrears. The Aussies’ plan should hope heat and time begins to break up the surface on days 4 and 5, according to former Test wicketkeeper Brad Haddin.
“There was one ball there today, that turned for Jadeja – the longer we bat out there, it’s a hot day, nearly 40 degrees… we know, at the back end of this game, things will happen fast,” Haddin said on Fox Cricket.
“You’re getting no help from the surface now, but that will change.
“The more the sun gets onto this surface, you’d expect day 4 and 5, this’ll happen a lot more [balls spitting out of the rough].”
Cameron Green of Australia bats. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Having missed the first two Tests of the series with a finger injury, Cameron Green has reminded the cricket world of his quality with a career-best knock in Ahmedabad.
The all-rounder’s batting average has soared past even that of England captain and star all-rounder Ben Stokes’ – his bowling average is also comfortably in front – with his cover-driving a particular delight.
Bringing up a maiden Test century shortly after lunch on day 2, Green was delighted with the achievement – and rightly so.
India tried many tactics to unsettle Green throughout his innings, most notably a short-ball assault late on day 1 and throughout the second day’s play, with little success.
“The Indians don’t have an answer for him,” Haddin remarked.
“They’ve tried spin, they’ve gone over and around the wicket, they’ve tried short balls which he’s taken on, but he just continues to learn on the job.
“It’s an impressive innings.”
Green’s performance would have gladdened the hearts of Mumbai Indians fans and powerbrokers, who purchased the Western Australian for a whopping $3.15 million ahead of this year’s IPL, which starts later this month.
“I hope you tuned into the IPL auction, it just tells you how the Indian cricketing fraternity rates Cameron Green,” Ashwin, who has 473 Test wickets, said.
“Just the raw materials for a person as tall as him, lovely levers, good batting sense, can bowl and really hit the deck well, moves pretty well in the field.
“These are once-in-a-generation cricketers you are talking about.”
As the old saying goes, one brings two.
Just four balls after Ravichandran Ashwin had broken Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green’s 208-run partnership – the second highest-ever stand between two Australians in a Test in India – when Green strangled down the legside, Alex Carey followed him back to the pavilion in ghastly fashion.
Having attracted criticism throughout the series for his compulsive sweeping, Carey attempted to do just that off an Ashwin offering that was far too short to attempt the shot, the result a top edge that ballooned safely to Axar Patel at backward point.
It was Carey’s latest ugly dismissal in a poor series with the bat, his aggressive mindset having regularly brought him unstuck. It leaves him with just 56 runs at 9.33 this series, with 36 of those coming on the first day of the first Test.
Former great turned commentator Matthew Hayden described Carey’s fall as ‘softer than butter’.
Having been in control at 4/378, Carey’s fall came in the middle of a slump where three wickets fell for just nine runs, Ashwin also removing Mitchell Starc to a catch at short leg for just 6.
On a pitch offering nothing to the bowlers, even a score of 400 or higher may not be enough for Australia should the surface deteriorate later in the Test.
The last time they made a higher first-innings score in India, 451 in Ranchi in the third Test of the 2017 series, India responded with 9/603 declared, with Cheteshwar Pujara scoring a double-century, to leave Australia to bat out the final day to secure a draw.
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