Indian bowlers had to grind to bowl Australia out on day two of the fourth Test match at Ahemadabad on Friday. Usman Khawaja continued his splendid form from day one, ending up scoring a marathon knock of 180 runs. Apart from him, all-rounder Chris Green also made his maiden Test hundred.
There were not many cherishable moments for India but thanks to Ravichandran Ashwin, they could restrict the visitors below 500 (480 precisely). The veteran spinner picked up a six-wicket haul. Apart from him, Mohammed Shami scalped a brace while Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja shared a wicket each.
Indian openers then combated the remaining ten overs of the day’s play. Both skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill looked really good at the crease.
What to expect tomorrow?
There seemed a hint of spin at the fag end of day two. So, as the play progresses tomorrow, it could start spinning, although the chances aren’t that heavy. India will need to bat quite sensibly to ensure Australia doesn’t get the first-innings lead.
The way Usman Khawaja and Chris Green batted made it clear that there is enough for batters on this wicket. However, it might not remain as flat as it looked for the first two days. Australian bowlers will try to exploit whatever little help there will be on offer.
What could be the possible result?
Given how this Test has progressed so far, it is likely going to end in a draw. But we can’t rule out the fact that the pitch might deteriorate on the fourth day onwards; that’s when spinners would come into play and batting might not be easy. In that case, the team with big first innings lead would get an opportunity to try and sneak a win.
India will be more eager to get a win since it would confirm their spot in the World Test Championship final. If the match ends in a draw, India will be dependent on the New Zealand-Sri Lanka series result, which could go either way.
