: 4th Test, Day 2: India trail Australia by 444 runs after Ashwins 6/91 bowls out visitors for 480 (ld) #IndiaNEWS #Sports Ahmedabad, March 10 (IANS) India openers Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma saw

4th Test, Day 2: India trail Australia by 444 runs after Ashwins 6/91 bowls out visitors for 480 (ld) #IndiaNEWS #Sports
Ahmedabad, March 10 (IANS) India openers Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma saw off the tricky 10 overs with relative ease to be unbeaten on 18 and 17 respectively as the hosts were 36/0, trailing Australia by 444 runs at stumps on second day of the fourth Test, here on Friday.
With the pitch still in favour of stroke play at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Rohit was pristine in his timing, flicking and cutting off Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon with relative ease. On the other hand, Gill sweetly played a short-arm jab on a short ball from Cameron Green, before dancing down the pitch to smash a six off Lyon at the stroke of stumps.
Earlier, ace India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin picked a six-wicket haul in a magical display of skill and control to bowl out Australia for 480. With pitch not showing much signs of sharp turn, Ashwin single-handedly got India back in the match, especially after having a wicketless morning session, ending with 6/91 in a relentless spell of 47. 2 overs.
After picking three wickets in the second session, Ashwin took three more to get his six-fer and wrap Australias innings at 167. 2 overs. For the visitors, posting a big total on a nice batting pitch was possible thanks to left-handed opener Usman Khawajas marathon 180, and Cameron Green smashing his first Test century through an entertaining 114, apart from Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy sharing a 70-run stand for the ninth wicket.
In the morning, Green reached his half-century off just 67 balls with a single through long-off against Ravindra Jadeja. There was some uneven bounce when Mohammed Shami was introduced in the attack from the third over of the day, but that wasnt enough to separate a zen-like Khawaja and an enterprising Green.
Green was crisp in his timing, when he slashed a short ball from Ashwin off back foot through the off-side. An erring Umesh Yadav provided the release to Australia when Khawaja whipped twice through square leg for boundaries.
Umesh continued to leak runs, as Khawaja slashed him through slip, before Green brought out a drive on the up through the gap at extra cover for another boundary. After being patient against spinners, Green feasted more on Umeshs wayward bowling, driving thrice in the arc between straight down the ground and extra cover.
Khawajas focus and determination to bat on got him to reach 150 before lunch, through a pulled four off Shami, before Green survived a short-ball barrage by nailing the pull shot and got an outside edge wide of slip to collect a brace of boundaries off the fast bowler to keep Australia in the drivers seat.
Post lunch, Green reached his first Test century in 144 balls with a square-cut off Jadeja through point.

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