India vs Australia, 1st Test: R Ashwin said the Nagpur pitch has behaved like any other normal subcontinent pitch, saying there were no demons in it. Australia were bundled out for 177 in their first innings.
New Delhi,UPDATED: Feb 11, 2023 10:10 IST
R Ashwin dissects Australia’s batting failure in 1st innings of Nagpur Test (AP Photo)
By India Today Web Desk: India all-rounder R Ashwin said on Saturday that premeditation might have led to Australia’s ordinary batting show in the first innings of the first Test of the much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Pat Cummins won the toss in Nagpur and opted bat but Australia were bundled out for just 177 in 63.5 overs inside the 3rd session on the opening day.
So much was said about the pitch in Nagpur in the lead-up to the 1st Test and the amount of spin that it would offer from Day 1 was making headlines, especially in Australian media. When Australia won the toss and opted to bat, they had an opportunity to put their foot down and post a huge total. However, Australia crumbled under relentless pressure from the India bowlers on Day 1.
India vs Australia, 1st Test Day 3 Updates
Opener David Warner and Usman Khawaja fell to the pacers inside the first 3 overs following which Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne resisted the Indian spin charge in the first session with an 82-run stand for the 3rd wicket. However, Ravindra Jadeja broke the partnership right after Lunch, getting Marnus Labuschagne for 49.
Jadeja returned to send Steve Smith back following which there was resistance from the likes of Peter Handscomb and Alex Carey but none of the touring batters were able to convert their starts into big knocks.
Carey started his innings with a reverse sweep and kept sweeing and reversing the Indian spinners before he was out bowled by R Ashwin for 36 off just 33 balls.
“Sometimes when batters come to this part of the world, premeditation can get the better out of you,” Ashwin told the broadcasters on Day 3.
“I just felt like Carey wasn’t trusting his defence enough. Sweeping and reverse-sweeping looks like his defence. So that’s probably going to be his go-to option all through the series. We’ll have to watch out for that. We had our plans in place and I thought it worked pretty well,” he added.
‘PRETTY GOOD PITCH’
Meanwhile, Ashwin also lauded the way Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja batted in the final session on Day 2, adding 81 runs together after Rohit Sharma got out for 120. Australia would have hoped to wrap up the Indian innings when wicketkeeper-batter KS Bharat got out for 8 and India were reeling at 240/7 but Jadeja and Axar added 88 runs together for the 8th wicket to stretch India’s lead past 150.
Ashwin said the pitch in Nagpur had no demons on it and behaved like a typical India surface that he has seen over the years.
“It’s still a pretty good pitch. Sometimes the way the wicket looks can throw you off in this part of the world. I still think that it’s a typically good, old-fashioned first-class pitch that I’ve grown up seein,” Ashwin added.
Australia struck early on Day 3 as Todd Murphy got his 6th wicket on debut, removing Ravindra Jadeja for 70.
