When Australia lost their first wicket to the second ball of the day, things looked grim. Then Travis Head slammed the door
When you read back over the scorecard in years to come, it will look easy. A run chase of 76 is a formality. Done in little more than an hour, purring along at 4.14 runs per over? Standard. Except it wasn’t. Not when the first ball of the third morning exploded in a dust cloud like a Dakar rally jeep jumping a dune. Not when Ravichandran Ashwin dialled back the turn on the next delivery, just enough of it to flick the bat so softly that even Usman Khawaja didn’t know he was out.
For the next 10 overs, Ashwin laid siege. Spin partner Ravindra Jadeja was his support. There was one Marnus Labuschagne boundary from a short ball, nine singles that were varyingly unconvincing, and a parade of deliveries that beat edges, leapt sharply, kept low, ragged on sharp angles, skidded straight, evaded gloves, drew appeals and reviews for leg before or for close catches. Australia were 13 for 1 and ripe to raise that second number.
Continue reading...