Usman Khawaja’s 10 HOUR marathon innings FINALLY ends as Australia set the first innings total of 480 runs after Todd Murphy and Nathan Lyon frustrated India in Ahmedabad
Australia finished at 480 after Usman Khawaja’s epic 180 and Cameron Green’s debut Test century had India’s bowlers hard at work for nearly two days on the pitch.
The tourists made the most of the best batting drop of the series, forcing India to bowl 168 overs and take a third fresh ball in the fourth Test in Ahmedabad.
Australia had 10 overs to bowl against the hosts before stumps, but India survived comfortably to finish 0-36, to fall behind by 444.
India captain Rohit Sharma (17 not out) and young starter Shubman Gill (18 not) will be back to bat on Saturday with Australia desperate for early gains.
Khawaja achieved the third-highest score by an Australian in India, finishing behind only Dean Jones (210 in 1986) and Matthew Hayden (203 in 2001).
Australia have set a first innings score of 480 runs in the final Test in Ahmedabad.
Cameron Green scored a maiden Test century when he struck 114 runs for the tourists
Usman Khawaja’s 10-hour marathon came to an end when he finished in 180 runs
The 36-year-old opener’s 10-hour epic came from 422 balls, the most any Australian has ever faced in India in one innings.
Australia comfortably reached the best total of the series, of either side, thanks to Khawaja and Green’s 208-run fifth-wicket spot.
It ended up being Australia’s best score in India since they scored 577 in Delhi in 2008.
Green (114) played a brilliant, no-chance shot full of impressive drives to snap a century that had been more than two years in the making.
The 23-year-old has made at least one significant contribution with the bat in every series he has played in since making his debut at Adelaide Oval against India in December 2020.
Khawaja and Green’s partnership was the second-best by an Australian pair in a Test in India, trailing only the 222-run position of Allan Border and Kim Hughes in 1979.
When Khawaja departed early in the final session on Friday, Australia could have easily collapsed.
But for the first time in the series, the visitors got valuable input from the queue.
Secondaries Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy made crucial position in the 70-run ninth wicket to thwart India’s tired attack.
Srikar Bharat celebrates after taking the Cameron Green ground on Friday
India leads series 2-1 and Australia aim to draw four-match contest
Lyon faced the most balls (96) in an innings during his career to finish on 34, while Murphy showed great promise in the final Test of his debut tour.
Murphy had scored a combined five runs in the first three Tests of his career but struck a first-class record of 41 in a huge confidence boost for the 22-year-old.
Australia’s best total on tour prior to this entry was their 263 in Delhi, as both teams have struggled to hit three furious turners.
Star Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recovered from his second-innings collapse in Indore to take 6-91 in 48 overs, highlighted by Green’s key scalp.
As Australia batted better than in any series, the tourists began the day plagued with sadness after learning of the death of captain Pat Cummins’ mother.
Cummins returned to Sydney to be close to his family after the second Test loss in Delhi.