Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green combined to put a dominating display with the bat on Day 2 for Australia in the fourth and final Test match in Ahmedabad. Twin centuries from the batters helped Australia post 480 runs in the first innings, the biggest total in an innings in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Former India batter Aakash Chopra hailed Usman Khawaja as the best overseas opener to play in India in the last 7-8 years, after he saw out 422 balls in a slow pitch, where run-scoring was difficult throughout the first two days.
“Usman Khawaja was simply brilliant for his 180. No matter how flat the pitch is, it’s never easy to bat for so long as it requires a lot of concentration. His wicket itself was a lapse in concentration, but he is definitely the best overseas opener who has visited Indian shores in the past 7-8 years,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
The commentator further hailed Australian youngster Cameron Green who scored an aggressive century in the first innings. However, Chopra rued the fact that India barely bowled any short balls to Cameron Green, which let the batter cut away in Ahmedabad.
“Cameron Green played a special knock and will be one of the best all-rounders the world has ever seen. The one thing that I was disappointed to see was that we didn’t even try the short ball trap to Green,” Chopra said.
“You could have had fielders on leg side and then from around the wicket could have tried to pin him and induce a false shot. You get a lot of rest as a fast bowler when you have three spinners in the line-up so it could have been tried,” he further added.
India will begin Day 3 at 36/0 with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill in the crease. The hosts have a mountain to climb in the final Test match, and need a win to directly qualify for the World Test Championship Final.
