Former Australian skipper, Ricky Ponting reckons that the Australia batsmen underestimated the veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and paid the price for it on the second day of the ongoing pink-ball Test against India at the Adelaide Oval. Ponting said teh Australian batsmen opted to play too many shots against the spinner who wreaked havoc on Friday.
Ahead of the game, there were certain doubts regarding the inclusion of R Ashwin in the playing XI, but the India spinner showcased his class as soon as he got the pink ball on Day 2. In his first over, Ashwin set up Steve Smith wonderfully well, removing the premier Australian batsman for a score of 1, his lowest total against the Asian side in Test cricket.
Ashwin then removed Travis Head who was looking to score runs against the off-spinner. He bowled a drifted delivery on the leg-stump line before Head got a leading edge to hand a simple return catch.
WATCH – Virat Kohli Took A Mind-boggling Catch To Send Back Cameron Green
The veteran Indian spinner, Ashwin kept the pressure on the Australia batsmen and conceded runs at a run-rate below 2. And that’s when debutant Cameron Green got a rare half-tracker from Ashwin. Green tried to pull it to the mid-wicket boundary but Virat Kohli took a stunning diving catch at short mid-wicket to send him back to the pavilion.
During a chat on Channel 7, Ricky Ponting said, “Batsmen have looked to be quite aggressive against Ashwin. I think they’ve just underestimated Ashwin and how good he is. They’ve looked to score their runs from him, and it’s been their undoing.”
Ashwin bowled 12 overs before the twilight period and picked up 3 wickets for just 29 runs. Meanwhile, former Australia fast bowler Glenn McGrath said he was not impressed with the way the Aussies tackled the Indian bowlers. While the pacers kept it tight, Australia kept losing wickets to Ashwin in the second session of Day 2 as their run-rate was under 2 for the most part of the innings.
During the break on Sony Sports, McGrath said, “They have been very defensive. They are sitting back, waiting for a bad ball or to work singles rather than being a bit more intent and take it to the bowlers. They should put a little bit more pressure on the bowlers. Indian bowlers have been able to bowl where they want to and they have been able to sit there and wickets are coming. When you are not scoring, on a wicket like this, you are not going anywhere.”
WATCH – Jasprit Bumrah Drops A Simple Catch At Boundary To Dismiss Labuschagne
India bowled as a complete on Day 2. While Ashwin managed to scalp 3 wickets, Jasprit Bumrah triggered Australia’s fall with wickets of their openers. Umesh Yadav shone late in the day with the big wicket of Marnus Labuschagne for 47 after the star batsmen got quite a few reprieves due to India’s shoddy catching efforts.
