Australia v India 4th Test: Cameron Green and Usman Khawaja put Aussies in strong position
Cameron Green’s first appearance in India was worth the wait, with the all-rounder and Usman Khawaja putting the Aussies in control – and breaking records along the way.
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He was absent, causing understandable impatience in some, from the first two Tests, but Cameron Green’s appearance in the Border Gavaskar Trophy has been worth the wait.
Like the wedding at Cana, he and Usman Khawaja have served their best in the last match of the series helping Australia to 480 runs on a wicket that is in total contrast to anything prepared in recent memory.
It was Australia’s highest total in India since 2008.
India was 0-36 at stumps on day two.
Green, the 23-year-old from Perth, brought up his first Test century soon after lunch in the heat of the second afternoon.
He was eventually removed for 114, caught by the keeper trying to sweep Ravi Ashwin for 114, but his 205-run partnership with Usman Khawaja (162no at the fall) helped the visitors to 5-378.
“It was really special, obviously (being 95) over the lunch break that 40 minutes felt like an hour forty, but I was batting with Ussie the whole time, there was experience at the other end and he was batting beautifully and that helps a lot,” Green said.
Green said he felt like a monkey was off his back after passing fifty on six occasions but never converting.
The all rounder admitted it would be hard work bowling India out on the lifeless pitch and that his role would be to put his ego away and dry up the runs.
Green and Khawaja may have been the ones batting for an extended period in the hot sun, but Alex Carey was the one who had the brain melt, attempting to slog Ashwin over long on four balls into his innings to be out for a duck.
But Nathan Lyon (34) and Todd Murphy (41) proved as potent a combination with bat as ball.
All indications are this wicket has been so heavily etherised it may never rouse.
Lyon has never faced so many balls in cricket, while Murphy had never scored as many runs in either first class or Premier cricket level.
Khawaja innings was longer than the Australian record in India of 392 balls, set by Graham Yallop in 1979. He spent over 10 hours at the crease before being trapped in front straight after the tea break.
Green’s efforts, however, show why selectors and side were so relieved to get him back at Indore: he brings as much balance to the side as he does to the crease.
The elongated all-rounder came to the wicket with the side wobbling slightly when Steve Smith and Peter Hanscomb fell after that break.
The Australians were 4-170 at that point, but the fifth wicket partnership doubled that score and secured the visitors the advantage.
Batting with the wiser and older Khawaja, Green sizzled while the veteran simmered.
He brought up the majority of his first 50 runs in the last hour when one imagines a more senior player may have been intent on seeing out the day.
Green appears almost unconcerned with the situation of the match or the importance of the situation he finds himself. It’s almost an adolescent disregard, but it’s one you pray he never loses.
Khawaja, the serene machine, seems similarly unflappable, but while the veteran is happy to recycle the energy of those flinging things at him, the youngster strides down the wicket, negating lengths and reputations in the process.
Green brought up his century with the 16th boundary of his innings soon after lunch. His smile lit up the southern stand and Khawaja’s lingering embrace was quid pro quo for a similar exchange the day before when the older batter brought up his hundred.
Having got there, he pasted Mohammed Shami through covers for an elegant and powerful four, before crunching Ravi Jadeja through the same region.
Khawaja had, by that time, moved past 150 with the same discipline and patience he showed through the first day.
The pair’s 200 run partnership is the first against India by any batters since 2013.
“He’s a great batsman. I’ve played a lot of him in Shield cricket, he’s scored some amazing runs against Queensland, scored some big hundreds against us, I’ve seen the best of Cameron Green,” Khawaja said before play began Friday.
“He’s so young, such a young cricketer, people forget that. I’d love to see him go on with it tomorrow. But even if he doesn’t, I just know he’s got a long career for Australia, just got to keep working hard and make sure he doesn’t put too much pressure on himself, and continues to get better.
“He’s a very special cricketer when he’s on the park doing his thing. Fingers crossed we see a lot more of him in the future.”
Exactly what Khawaja means by not putting too much pressure on himself is hard to gauge because as previously observed he shows no sign of nerves.
Green will however feel the pressure of living up to the $3.15m paid him by the billionaire Ambani family when he plays for their Mumbai franchise on these shores next month.
The business must be feeling pretty smug about their bet after a few nervous months following the operation on a finger broken in the Melbourne Test.
A shudder would have gone through the corporate boxes when Mohammad Shami hit him on the hand early in his knock, but the innings was essentially chanceless.
The innings at Ahmedabad passes his previous career high 84 and extends the set of contributions in every series he has played, everywhere they have been played.
When Green scored a pair of 70s against England in March last year, Australian great Ricky Ponting predicted a century would come soon.
“He just had England exactly where he wanted them today (Friday),” Ponting said at the time.
“Flat pitch, a bowler down, a 50-over old ball, lights on and the ball skidding on beautifully, no quality spinner. It was all there waiting for him today, but it’s not going to be far away. If he takes that same mental approach into every innings going forward, regardless of if he’s got runs in the game before or not.
“That’s the big challenge for him. It doesn’t matter what happened last week or two Test matches before, it’s all about getting the mindset right for the next challenge that you have.
“That’s what he’ll learn. It takes a lot of people a long time to learn that but he seems to be learning pretty quickly.”
Ponting’s prediction took 12 months to come to fruition but was, again as early noted, worth the wait.
DAY 2: RECAP ALL THE ACTION AS IT HAPPENED
9:33PM – 10-480. AUSSIES POST HIGHEST TOTAL IN INDIA SINCE 2008
Australia has posted its highest team total in India since 2008, and fourth highest all-time, with a scintillating 70-run partnership between tailenders Todd Murphy and Nathan Lyon putting the icing on the cake.
The unlikely pairing lifted Australia from the damage of losing 4-31 to a commanding total which will make Australia extremely difficult to beat in the Test.
At the very least, Australia should be in the box seat to draw the Test, but the chance is there to push for a rare second-straight victory in India if Australia’s bowlers can get on top early.
Australia’s total of 480 is the highest by a touring Aussie team to India since the 577 posted in Delhi in 2008.
Murphy finished with a career-high first-class score of 41, and was only out due to a line-ball lbw decision which would have gone in his favour had the on-field umpire not fired him.
Out on umpire’s call to a ball clipping leg-stump, Murphy was robbed of a stunning half century.
Nathan Lyon ultimately became Ravi Ashwin’s sixth victim for the innings, out for 34.
9:01PM – 8-459. AUSSIES TAIL WAGS AS MURPHY STEALS SHOW
Todd Murphy had made only five runs in his past five innings and barely looked able to hold a bat in the first three Tests ... but is currently looking like Brian Lara.
The Australian No.10 is 35 not out and stealing the show in a stunning 50-run partnership with fellow tail-ender Nathan Lyon (20 not out).
When Australia lost 4-31 they looked to have blown a huge chance to bat India out of the match.
Cameron Green (114), Alex Carey (0), Mitchell Starc (6) and Usman Khawaja (180) all fell in quick succession either side of tea, giving India back some momentum.
But the most unlikely of batting pairings is making life a misery for the home side.
Murphy has smashed five boundaries in his invaluable cameo knock which has pushed the Aussie total past 450.
The Victorian, coming into this Test, had a Test average of 1.25 and a first-class average of 8.
But the bunny is becoming a beast. This is his highest first-class score.
India would have been expecting to be batting by now, but the frustrating partnership between two bowlers could be decisive in the Test.
It’s the first time all series Australia’s tail has offered any runs.
8:14PM – 8-421. KHAWAJA FALLS SHORT OF DOUBLE TON BUT STILL BREAKS RECORD
Usman Khawaja has fallen agonisingly short of a double century for the second time this year, as Australia potentially missed a rare chance to only bat once in a Test.
But Khawaja’s epic 180 off 422 balls will live long in the memory as one of the great marathon knocks in Australian Test history.
Already, Khawaja is the only batsman in world cricket to pass 500 runs for the calendar year, that following on from his 1000-run year in 2022 where he was comfortably the best opener in Test cricket.
Australian great Matthew Hayden has tipped Khawaja to continue his hot form age 36 and have a dominant Ashes tour as well later this year.
“Especially if he plays with this great patience .. with that game plan, I think he’ll do very well there,” Hayden said on Fox Cricket.
Australia are way on top but a mini collapse of 4-31 has hurt their chances of really putting India to the sword.
The visitors’ run-rate was slowed significantly by losing Cameron Green (114), Alex Carey (0), Mitchell Starc (6) and then Khawaja in quick succession either side of tea.
Ravi Ashwin was the chief destroyer, taking the first three wickets, before Axar Patel finally trapped Khawaja lbw.
At the Sydney Test, Khawaja was stranded on his highest ever Test score of 195 not out, after bad weather forced Australia into a declaration.
Now he’s missed another golden chance for a double century – although he left nothing in the tank in Ahmedabad.
It was the most balls faced by an Australian in India and the third highest individual score by an Aussie in the sub-continent after Dean Jones (210) and Hayden (203).
7:53PM – 7-409. KHAWAJA SETS NEW RECORD WITH HIS MARATHON KNOCK
Usman Khawaja is now 10 hours into his record-breaking knock in Ahmedabad and is showing no sign of slowing down with Australia in control at tea on day two.
Khawaja has Dean Jones’ 210 in Chennai and Matt Hayden’s 203 in his sights with the left-hander 180 not out and partnered by Nathan Lyon at the crease with Australia 7-409.
Already, Khawaja has written himself into the record books with the longest innings ever played by an Australian in India.
Back in 1979, former Australian opener Graham Yallop batted for 392 balls, but Khawaja has outlasted that stay with his innings now 421 balls old and not over yet.
Khawaja combined for a 208-run partnership with Cameron Green, who made a maiden Test hundred.
It was the second highest partnership ever by an Australian duo in India after Allan Border and Kim Hughes put on 222 in Chennai in 1979.
Khawaja’s tempo hasn’t looked like changing for his entire innings.
The Queenslander’s highest Test score was 195 not out in Sydney this year – when only rain robbed him of a double ton.
6:45pM – 6-384. GREEN, CAREY OUT IN SAME OVER AS DESPERATE INDIA FINALLY GET A LOOK
Cameron Green’s masterful maiden Test century has come to an end and unfortunately brought about the instant dismissal of Alex Carey for a duck in the same over.
The back-to-back wickets have given India a break after they were demoralised by the emphatic 208-run partnership of Green and Usman Khawaja, who is still at the crease on 163 not out.
Australia is still in command at 6-384, but Test great Matthew Hayden described the unfortunate duck for Carey as ‘soft as butter.’
Green was unlucky to be strangled down the leg-side for 114 off 170 balls – a magnificent innings.
However, Carey had a rush of blood after sitting on the bench for 130 overs and chipped Axar Patel into the air attempting a big slog.
Australia is still way on top an hour into the second session on day two, but Khawaja is now the only recognised batsman to drive the team towards a monster total beyond 450.
The visitors would have desperately loved a cameo from Carey who is capable of taking a game away from opposition in quick time.
India was in dire straits before Green’s dismissal, after attempting a laughable DRS review in a desperate attempt to remove Usman Khawaja from the crease.
Bowler Ravi Jadeja was himself laughing even before the replay flashed up on the screen showing the ball missing the stumps by a foot.
But Australia has batted for 133 overs and counting, more than they managed for the two innings combined in the three previous Tests.
5:55PM – 4-358. GREEN MAKES MAIDEN TEST TON
Prodigy all-rounder Cameron Green (101 off 150 balls) has joined elite company in making his maiden Test hundred in India.
Since 2013, Michael Clarke, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell and Usman Khawaja are the only Australians to score Test tons in India – but Green has now powered his way into the history books.
Massive names like Justin Langer, David Warner, Ian Redpath, Bob Simpson, Michael Slater and Bill Lawry never scored a Test century in India.
Ricky Ponting only ever made one. They are rare feats. It is the toughest of tough conditions.
At just 23 years of age, Green has the world at his feet as an all-rounder.
Green has played a faultless innings in this fourth Test after came to the crease with Australia at a crossroads at 4-170.
On a good batting wicket, Australia needed a huge first innings score, but had Green fallen early it would have exposed Alex Carey and Australia’s tail, who haven’t scored many runs this series.
But Green’s electric scoring rate has monstered India and given Australia supreme control of the Test.
5:11PM – AUS 4-347. KHAWAJA GOING BIG, GREEN ALMOST AT MAIDEN HUNDRED
Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green have delivered Australia its best batting session of the series so far, with their unbeaten partnership of 177 the biggest of the Border Gavaskar Trophy.
It was another wicketless session for Australia in which they added 92 runs – with Green only five runs away from a maiden Test hundred at lunch on day two.
Khawaja at the other end is 150 not out and eyeing a massive double ton in Ahmedabad.
The left-hander was robbed of a double-century in the Sydney Test due to bad weather, but now he has a chance to reach that magic milestone.
India has not looked like taking a wicket, with the Australians taking the fourth Test by the scruff of the neck.
Green has been superb and Australia has now had two wicketless sessions to start this Test, when there previously hadn’t been any in the series.
Australia has an opportunity to bat India out of the match.
4:07PM – AUS 4-296. GREEN PUSHING FOR MAIDEN TEST HUNDRED
Prodigiously talented all-rounder Cameron Green is targeting a maiden Test hundred in Ahmedabad.
Resuming on 49, Green wasted no time passing 50 for his seventh half century in Test cricket ... but a much bigger prize is on offer.
Australia is 4-296 after the first hour on day two.
The post play chat after day one quite rightly focused on Usman Khawaja’s incredible first ever Test hundred in India, but Green’s contribution in the final session on the opening day was superb and swung the match firmly in Australia’s favour.
Green simply feasted on the second new ball and made India wish they never took it.
The big West Australian pushed the scoring rate along and ensured it was comprehensively Australia’s day.
Now Green has continued it on day two, and is 65 not out off 105 balls, with nine boundaries.
Green has already had some massive moments with the ball in Test cricket, but a Test hundred would cement his status as the perhaps the best emerging star in international cricket.
AUSTRALIAN TEAM HONOUR THE SAD PASSING OF PAT CUMMINS’ MOTHER, MARIA
The Australian team will wear black arm bands tonight in honour of Pat Cummins’ mother, Maria, who passed away peacefully on Friday.
Maria Cummins has been battling serious illness in palliative care, with the Australian captain deciding to stay home from the last two Tests of the series in India to be by her side.
It’s understood Cummins has informed teammates and friends that his mother passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family.
“We are deeply saddened at the passing of Maria Cummins overnight,” a Cricket Australia spokesperson said.
“On behalf of Australian Cricket, we extend our heartfelt condolences to Pat, the Cummins family and their friends. The Australian Men’s team will today wear black armbands as a mark of respect.”
Maria Cummins was a huge influence on her son’s career and was a huge supporter of the Jane McGrath Pink Test at the SCG, as a sufferer of breast cancer.
Cummins wrote five years’ ago about his mother’s incredible strength as she fought cancer while raising five children.
“My mum’s name is Maria and she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 when I was in year seven at school. She tried to shelter the kids – Matt, Laura, Tim, Kara and me – from much of what went on,” Cummins’ wrote for Athlete’s Voice back in 2018.
“I remember her telling us, ‘I’m not going to be my normal self for the next little while,’ at the outset. And I remember all the family and friends stepping in and helping out with things like school pick-ups and making dinners. My dad, Peter, played the role of both parents there for a while.
“Mum went through all the chemo and radiation therapy. It lasted about six months. She’s one of the lucky ones. She came out the other side.
“But cancer has a tendency to hang over your head long after you’ve gone into remission. There are all the check-ups and the tests and that means the thought of it is always lurking somewhere.
“As a kid you think, ‘Mum said it’s going to be alright so it’s going to be alright.’ It’s not until you get a bit older when you think, ‘That was really serious.’”
The Australian team will honour Maria Cummins and their skipper when the second day of the fourth Test in India gets underway this afternoon.
We are deeply saddened at the passing of Maria Cummins overnight. On behalf of Australian Cricket, we extend our heartfelt condolences to Pat, the Cummins family and their friends. The Australian Men's team will today wear black armbands as a mark of respect.
— Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) March 10, 2023
Cummins and his family are very highly regarded in the Penrith and lower Blue Mountains community.
Penrith club cricketer Tyran Liddiard, who has played with Cummins and his two brothers, said the entire family are special people last week when he sent his prayers and thoughts to the Test captain.
“Their family is unbelievable,” Liddiard said.
“I owe a lot to his brother, Tim Cummins. And obviously their mum, you could not meet a nicer family.
“Absolutely beautiful people, I’m definitely feeling for him and praying for him and his family. Pat, Matt and Tim are three of the best blokes you’ll ever meet.”
THE RACE TO REPLACE WARNER
Australia’s selectors were consumed with the biggest cricket show on earth in India on Thursday but something else was doing …
The pungent scent of a wildcard Ashes selection was in the air.
It could be 18-year-old West Australian batsman Teague Wyllie or promising Tasmanian Tim Ward.
It could be rhythmical left-arm speedster Spencer “The Mild Thing’’ Johnson or unsung right-armed quick Xavier Bartlett.
All four of the above were named in an Australian A squad who will play two four-day games in New Zealand using the English Dukes balls in specific preparation for the Ashes.
Those two matches will create barely a ripple of interest in Australia as they clash with winter football news but will be the most important games many of those youngsters have played.
Australia arrived late in India and got caught off guard early. That won’t happen in England.
The success of new boys Todd Murphy and Matt Kuhnemann on the Indian tour has emboldened Australia’s selectors into thinking that they should have the confidence to occasionally look beyond limited experience and unspectacular statistics and gamble on youth.
David Warner might just hang on to join his old junior mate Usman Khawaja on the Ashes tour but Australia will give deep consideration to taking a young batsman to learn off the duo and Steve Smith before they call it quits.
And so they should.
The Ashes tour, with all of its bus travel, intimate team bonding and historical gravitas, is the perfect tour for a player to learn what high pressure international cricket is all about.
Seasoned performers Matt Renshaw, Cameron Bancroft and Marcus Harris are under consideration for the Ashes but Australia is still not sure what to make of them.
The selectors are keeping an open mind and will cast an eye over all sorts of options.
They know that soon enough they will be shopping for two new openers and don’t want the changes to sneak up on them, particularly as the preferred position for Travis Head is in the middle order despite yet another cheeky first innings in Ahmedabad.
It still seems too early Ward and Wyllie’s first class record is modest but if either shot the lights out in the New Zealand game they could be sent to England for the future as much as the present.
Johnson is an interesting selection. Years ago he was used as a stunt double for Mitchell Starc in a television commercial, never suspecting he could one day be a chance of playing beside him.
But after a rousing Big Bash performance with the Brisbane Heat and an eye-catching start to his Sheffield Shield career the selectors are watching him closely.
He could be the lucky man. Or it could be one of the young batsmen.
But there is a feeling that at least one up and comer will get lucky and make what could be the tour of a lifetime to England.
Originally published as Australia v India 4th Test: Cameron Green and Usman Khawaja put Aussies in strong position
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