India pacer Jasprit Bumrah said off-spinner Ravi Ashwin will prove more than a handful in the fourth innings of the first Test against Australia in Adelaide.
Aussie off-spinner Nathan Lyon made good use of the rough outside off-stump against the Indians, dismissing Virat Kohli for 34 with a sharp edge to short leg on Saturday. And given Ashwin’s efforts in the first innings on a pitch that was less helpful, Bumrah backed the Indian spinner to weave his magic.
India are 166 runs ahead with seven wickets in hand and two days left in the opening Test.
“Ashwin will obviously play a more crucial now role because with the rough, we saw Nathan Lyon using the rough to his advantage. He is an experienced bowler and knows what he has to do. So he will probably work on it and he will play a crucial role for sure,” Bumrah said .
Bumrah lauded the entire Indian attack after the visitors dismissed the hosts for 235 and earn a 15-run lead on a pitch that notoriously slow and did not have a lot off sideways movement in it.
“We were trying to figure out the lengths that are useful over here. In South Africa and England, there was a lot of lateral movement. Here the wickets are slightly flatter because you get bounce, but you have to be consistent.
“That’s the thing we have read over the years. We were trying to focus on that, that if we don’t give runs, we are creating pressure from both ends and then we could get wickets,” said Bumrah.
Bumrah backed the Indian middle and lower order to set a big target.
“I think it is slightly in our favour because the late wicket (Kohli) was a good thing for them. But we have a good lead. First session tomorrow will be a very important. If we capitalise on that, that will leave us in a very good place in this match,” the quick added.
