4th Test: Ashwin continues bullying Australia

India off-spinner takes four as tourists reduced to 231 for eight.

It was another tough start for the Australia batsmen as India spinners continued their dominance to restrict the tourists to 231 for eight on the opening day of the fourth and final Test yesterday, according to The Times of India.

The start will give more hope to India who are in pursuit of registering a historic clean sweep over Australia, after having comprehensively beaten them in the first three Tests already.

After electing to bat first, the Feroz Shah Kotla strip proved a menace as Australia kept losing wickets in quick succession and were struggling at 117 for five at one stage.

The tourists desperately missed the services of injured captain Michael Clarke as they were once again rocked by the Indian spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja with the duo claiming six out of the eight wickets.

However, the visitors’ total was given some respectability by the 53-run eight-wicket partnership between Steven Smith and Peter Siddle followed by an unbroken 43-run ninth-wicket stand between Siddle and James Pattinson.

Siddle was unbeaten on 47, adding crucial runs with Pattinson (11*).

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23^rd, 2013.