AHMEDABAD: Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith put Australia in a commanding position at the end of the second session on the first day of the fourth Test after sharing an unbeaten stand of 77 runs for the third wicket against India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Australia resumed their innings on 75/2 with Khawaja 27* and Smith 2* beginning the second session for the visitors.
The Australian batting pair consolidated on the first-inning total and made merry on a day when Indian bowlers struggled to pick up wickets.
India’s spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja who have been lethal throughout the series probed the Aussie batters but were unable to produce wickets.
Khawaja continued his great run in India to bring up his third fifty of the series and his 22nd Test half-century.
The Aussie batters applied themselves on a pitch that didn’t have the spin and bounce offered by wickets in the first three Tests. On a pitch that did not look threatening, the hosts kept things tight to ensure the Aussie team didn’t run away with the game.
India were unable to get a wicket in the second session as Australia ended the session at 149-2 with Khawaja 65* and Smith 38* at the crease.
In the first session, India bounced back with wickets in the latter half of the session before lunch after Australia’s openers gave the team a steady start in the opening session on the first day of the fourth Test here at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Thursday.
The visitors started well in the first half before the Indian bowlers struck twice. Ravichandran Ashwin got the first wicket while Shami scalped the second. Usman Khawaja 27(94) and Steven Smith 2(17) were at the crease for the Aussie team at lunch.
Brief Score: Australia 149/2 (Usman Khawaja 68*, Steve Smith 35; Mohammed Shami 1-31) vs India (ANI)