IND vs AUS 2023: Ashwin-Umesh Pull Length, India Back

It was the 68th over of the Australian innings and Ravindra Jadeja had been bowling non-stop since the start of the day’s play. He would be found awkward for grip and turn but was well denied by Cameron Green and Peter Handscomb for the first hour. In that particular over he got past Handscomb on a few occasions, bowled a no-ball but didn’t really encroach India Been looking for the first hour.

In the middle of his over, R Ashwin, fielding at mid-on, started warming-up and getting ready for that one over before the drinks interval. He got one in the 69th over and was straight on the money. After watching the proceedings closely, Ashwin had found the right length, a trick that India’s bowlers had missed on the first day and the first half of the session on Thursday.

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At the drinks break, Australia were the happier unit as they moved from 156/4 to 186/4 – all without loss and the pressure was now mounting on India as the lead was also increasing. The madness unfolded after the drinks break as Ashwin in the first over ended the resistance with Handscomb (98-ball 19) and Umesh Yadav came down hard from the other end and wiped out the lower order without doing much damage.

From 186/4, Australia collapsed to 197/10 in just 39 deliveries after the drinks break. It was similar to India’s collapse in the first half of the morning session on Day 1 as the hosts lost half their team in 68 balls and the scoreboard read around 45/5.

Full marks to Australia for their resistance but India’s bowlers – Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel – erred with their lengths and the surface was too full to exploit.

Jadeja, in particular, was in search of that full and fast-spinning ball and was safely disposed of by straight bats and long strides from both Green and Handscomb. The left-arm seamer took four wickets on Wednesday and was the most effective bowler for the hosts but missed a trick of length in the morning session. Three of his four wickets on the first day came from the good length spot and it was a plan he should have stuck to as the deliveries behaved differently in that position.

Dr. Ashwin has found the right medicine

Ashwin made adjustments and made an immediate impact as he picked up three wickets in just nine balls to deny the hosts a substantial lead. For Ashwin, the pace at which he bowled came in handy – much slower than Axar and Jadeja. And the experienced off-spinner attacked the stumps from the good length region and let the pitch do its job.

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The ball was coming to his hands well and he took advantage of the surface with the right line and the right pace. After playing spectator for most of the pre-drinks session, he quickly swung into action and wrapped things up in a hurry.

Umesh put out the fire

No one would have expected Umesh Yadav to be in the playing XI after the first two Tests. Yes, an injury here and there could have helped him break into the team but Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj were always the first choice fast bowlers. The management surprised everyone at the toss when they decided to “rest” Shami and Umesh came in.

Over the years now, 12 years after his Test debut for India, Umesh has rarely been the first choice in the playing XI and has remained second choice to either a more experienced pacer or a very promising youngster. A place in the Indore Test playing XI was certainly not on the cards and the speedster grabbed it with both hands, and how.

Even in the morning session, Umesh was the second choice for skipper Rohit Sharma as he opened proceedings with Siraj and handed the ball to Umesh only after drinks. The 35-year-old picked up his first after Green was trapped for 21 and added two more to his tally, cartwheeling the stumps of Mitchell Starc and Todd Murphy. Umesh’s plan was simple and he kept attacking the stumps with good lengths and sharp angles did the rest.

The delivery breathed a new life into the press box to get rid of Starc and Murphy, who had been reduced to snooze mode after Australia’s resistance in the first hour.

It is fair to say that the visitors have a slight edge with that lead and India will need to bat really well to put the pressure on them. Momentum is in their favor after the post-drinks burst and it is time for the batsmen to make the most of it.

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