🏏India vs Australia - 4th Test: NMS, Ahmedabad: Day 5 - Page 29🏏 - Page 26

A little preface on BGT 2023:

- Warner dubbed the BGT as a 'batters battle'.

- Renshaw felt he was ready for the Ashwin challenge.

- Ravindra Jadeja was almost there fitness wise.

- Delayed visa troubles Usman Khawaja's arrival.

- Australia train with an Ashwin doppelganger

- The stage set for a cracking 2023 BGT!

Nagpur Test

- Australia were rolled over for 177

- Jadeja, Australia's constant thorn in the eyes gets a fifer.

- Rohit leads from the front, scores an outstanding ton.

- India's middle order wobbles.

- Axar-Jadeja resurrect and hand India a mammoth lead of 222.

- A seven-fer for Murphy cooks on the back burner.

- Ashwin has five in the second essay, Australia blown away in a session - loss by an innings and 132 runs.

Delhi Test:

- Pujara's 100th Test! Accolades pour in

- Australia fail to rain on Pujara's parade as the 'Lindsay Lowhands' formula failed.

- Australia finished on 263, Khawaja top-scores with 81.

- India slip early, but Axar leads the rearguard action once again

- India finish one run short

- Head is promoted up the order and Australia start on a brisk note

- But Day 3 sees Australia losing 9 wickets for 48 as Jadeja works his magic again

- India stutter a little but win by 6 wickets. BGT stays with India.

Mid-series break:

- Warner was ruled out of the series with a fractured elbow.

- Agar was released from the squad.

- Hazlewood sidelined with injury and Cummins had to fly back for personal reasons.

- Steve Waugh's famous words - the final frontier - were making sense now.

- Australia were left with a mountain to climb. The oxygen reserves were almost nil.

- Smith was handed captaincy and that's when the tables turned.

Indore Test:

- India won the toss hoping to put up a good score

- But Queensland's Jadeja - Matt Kuhnemann - got a fifer to skittle India out for 109.

- Khawaja once again shone with the bat as the wicket was deemed as a bunsen burner.

- Australia collapsed early on Day 2. India had a deficit of 88. But then the Lyon roared.

- The GOAT picked up an 8-fer. India only had 75 runs to play with despite a great fight from Pujara.

- Head and Labuschagne completed the formalities on day 3.

- A WTC final ticket was still at bay for the Indians!

Ahmedabad Test:

- Australia elect to bat on the best batting deck of the series.

- Usman Khawaja, once again, leads the batting charts. Compiles a ton on day 1

- More attritional cricket on day 2 and Green scores a ton as well. Australia finish with 480.

- Gill leads India's reply. His finely crafted ton on day 3 ensures India stays afloat

- Virat scores a ton and India take a 91-run lead.

- With an eye on the NZ-SL Test, Indian bowlers failed to pierce into the Australian batting attack on day 5 and settle for a draw. But NZ hand India the ticket to WTC 2023 final as they squeeze a thrilling win at Christchurch.

Nathan Lyon: It has been a tough challenge. Obviously coming over here, in India, we know it is going to be tough but it has been rewarding, our group can take a lot out of it. There are some areas we can improve but there are some proud moments along the way. Totally different surface, didn't really have much in it and it was pretty hard work to bowl out here. It can be quite challenging but it is up to us as bowlers to try and get the guys caught in the crease and make them play false shots. Totally different to the first three pitches, lot compacted and not many footmarks. We were watching the score (NZ-SL game) but we kinda knew we were going to face India in the final. It is going to be pretty exciting, we have got a really good lead up into it, a bit of time off and then some preparation, but looking forward to it. I feel I have been able to play a big role in the start of their (Murphy and Kuhnemann) Test journey, I know Matty is keen to have a word with Jadeja tonight, they should head home pretty proud on what they have achieved, it is no easy feat to bowl against the best players of spin.

Shubman Gill: Lyon is always on his mark. He tests your patience. The first session on day 3 was quite challenging for me and Rohit bhai when he was bowling. He doesn't give a lot to the batter as he is consistently bowling outside off-stump.

Rahul Dravid: It was a hard fought series. There were moments where we were put under extreme pressure and we managed to respond. Rohit led the way with the hundred in the first Test, capped off by the big one by Virat here. In the middle we had Jadeja, Axar, Shubman, probably missed a few. We needed to find people to respond and we found that. To be able to compete and get the better of them is a proud achievement. It's been an exciting 4-5 months for Shubman. Exciting to see a young player coming in and maturing. Great sign for us, long may it continue. Lovely kid, works hard on his skill. Great exposure for him to learn from the likes of Virat, Rohit and even Steve Smith. We did have an eye on the New Zealand-Sri Lanka game. It was lunch time for us, so were following. They (Aussie spinners) have been exceptional, led by Nathan Lyon. He has been brilliant for Australia for many years but right through the series he was exceptional, the kind of pressure and control he gave Cummins and Smith was outstanding. Both young spinners (Kuhnemann and Murphy) gave him that kind of support. Lot of times we have seen overseas teams have only one good spinner and the others leak runs, but credit to the two young spinners, they maintained that pressure and picked wickets. Lot of the guys were saying that for the quality of spin they had to play which made the series win all the more sweeter. Some of the guys were saying since Panesar and Swann, they have probably not played over the last decade, couple of spinners of this kind of quality or this quality of spells, they have played individual spinners who have been great over the years but to have a quality spin attack I think it is the best in the last 10 years. We just qualified for it at lunch time today, we will think about it (WTC final) and plan for it, but first we will celebrate this victory.

Steve Smith: Did end slowly. Was a pretty flat at the back end. The boys had a great time. The hospitality has been amazing. The crowd has been amazing. We started to play better as the series went on. The madness in one hour in Delhi cost us that game. The wicket here was too flat for us to force a result. The spinners bowled really well. Murphy and Kuhnemann bowled with composure. Lyon bowled his best in the first innings here, the best I have seen him bowl. I am getting a bit old (on asked if he will be touring India in four years time).