Khawaja, Green lead charge as Australia reach series-high 480 against India

Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill batted successfully in the last 10 overs of the day to ensure that India were 36 for no loss in reply. With a 2-1 lead in the series, India need to win the current match against Australia to seal their place in the final of the World Test Championship to be held in June. However, as of now, India are trailing by a significant margin of 444 runs in the match.

Khawaja and Green stitched together an impressive 208-run stand, the highest for either side in a series where the bowlers clearly had the upper hand. The double century partnership by Australia in India came after some time, as the last such partnership was seen in 1979.

From the start of the second day, Khawaja and Green dominated as the ball didn’t turn much and reverse swing. The Australian batsmen’s confidence against India’s bowling was exemplary, with Green hitting Umesh Yadav for three fours in an over and completing his century with a fourth against Ravindra Jadeja.

Ashwin did not let the pitch decide the quality of his bowling and kept the pressure on the Australian batsmen. He took 6 crucial wickets in 47.2 overs and conceded only 91 runs in his spell.

Despite being on a grueling ground of 167.2 overs, Rohit Sharma And Shubman Gill showed no signs of fatigue as he batted through the last 10 overs of the day without much trouble. His remarkable timing of the ball confirmed that the pitch was exceptionally conducive to batting, particularly against the extra pace and bounce of Starc and Green.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese jointly added a diplomatic touch to their bilateral ties. Test match inaugurated between their teams on Thursday.

(with inputs from agencies)