The efficiency of Indian bowlers on Day 1 of the fourth Test match between India and Australia in Ahmedabad was uneven to say the least. While the hosts have been capable of take two wickets within the first session, most bowlers struggled with consistency and Usman Khawaja‘s sensible ton meant that Australia ended Day 1 within the driving seat. However, the one India participant who earned reward for his dedication on the sector was skipper Rohit Sharma. Rohit appeared proactive together with his captaincy and stored attempting out completely different bowling mixtures to bother the guests. During the drinks break earlier than Cameron Green got here out to bat for Australia, Rohit was caught on video having an animated dialog with the staff as he gestured in direction of the scoreboard and instructed his teammates.

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The gestures have been observed by commentators who tried to guess the content material of his speech.

“Seems like he was pointing to the scoreboard and saying ‘just keep going. What we have done is come back strongly,” mentioned former India left-arm spinner Murali Kartik within the commentary field.

Opener Usman Khawaja struck the primary century of the sequence by an Australian batsman because the vacationers reached 255-4 on Thursday’s opening day of the fourth Test towards India.

The left-handed Khawaja, batting on 104, placed on key stands together with a 79-run third-wicket partnership with skipper Steve Smith, who made 38, handy Australia a powerful begin.

After a protracted grind, Khawaja was batting alongside Cameron Green, on 49, at shut of play after Australia elected to bat on the world’s largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.

The Pakistan-born Khawaja jumped up in pleasure after he raised the second hundred of a low-scoring sequence with a boundary within the ultimate over of the day.

India skipper Rohit Sharma hit 120 within the opener, however is now second to the Australian opener, who leads the sequence batting chart with 257 runs.

Green remained the attacking companion in an unbeaten 85-run partnership with Khawaja that when once more stamped Australia’s dominance regardless of two wickets within the ultimate session.

Travis Head began aggressively and made 32 in a 61-run opening partnership with Khawaja earlier than India hit again with two wickets within the first session.

Khawaja and stand-in-skipper Smith received right down to arduous work after lunch to put on down the Indian bowlers on a pitch that appears good for batting.

Ravindra Jadeja bowled Smith after the left-arm spinner’s supply skidded off the turf to get the batsman’s inside and onto the stumps.

Mohammed Shami received his second wicket after bowling Peter Handscomb, however Khawaja stored up the arduous work.

Pace spearhead Shami began the match with a large and Khawaja quickly received a boundary.

The pitches within the first three Tests have been rank turners, with the best complete being India’s 400 within the opening match.

The left-handed Head took cost to hit a flurry of boundaries together with three in a single over from tempo bowler Umesh Yadav.

Head survived a reprieve on seven when wicketkeeper Srikar Bharat dropped a easy catch off Yadav and the opener added 25 extra earlier than being dismissed by Ravichandran Ashwin.

Khawaja tried to construct one other partnership, however Shami received Marnus Labuschagne for 3, with a supply that got here in and rattled the stumps.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese have been in attendance for the primary hour of play on the 132,000-capacity stadium, named after the Indian premier.

A bumper crowd greeted the 2 leaders earlier than focus turned to cricket as Smith gained the toss and named an unchanged XI from their earlier win in Indore that stored the sequence alive at 2-1.

India want a win to clinch the sequence and safe their berth within the World Test Championship ultimate, scheduled for June at The Oval in London.

(With AFP inputs)

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