R Ashwin made the direct statement, “In India, we can’t protect such players” | Cricket
The bowlers have had a difficult time, for a change, in the fourth Test between Australia and India. Australia kept India out on the field for the majority of the first two days of the fourth Test in Ahmedabad, when the previous three matches in the series were all favourable to spinners and concluded in two and a half days. The visitors eventually ran out of innings for a massive 480, and India finished the day on 36/0.
A 208-run partnership between Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green helped Australia’s innings. Both players made hundreds, their firsts against India, and Cameron Green, a 23-year-old all-rounder, made his Test cricket debut. Green scored 114 points off 170 shots, whereas Khawaja lost after tallying 180 points off an incredible 422 shots. The large sum that the all-rounder garnered at the 2023 Indian Premier League auction, according to spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who had dismissed Green and broken the massive stand, demonstrates just how highly respected he is in Indian cricket circles.
“I hope you tuned into the IPL auction. It just tells you how the Indian cricket fraternity rates Cameron Green,” he answered to a question from one of the Australian scribes after the day’s play on Friday. Green was acquired by the Mumbai Indians for ₹17..5 crore, thus becoming the most expensive Australian in the history of the IPL.
“I think he is a fantastic player. Just the raw material he has, tall, lovely levers, good batting sense, can hit the deck hard while bowling, moves pretty well; these are once-in-a-generation cricketer that you are talking about,” said Ashwin.
Then, Ashwin pointed out that nations like England and Australia are better at safeguarding players like Green. “However, we come from different countries, India is very different. We can’t protect such players for longer periods of time. It is perform or perish (in India). In countries like Australia and England, these cricketers are groomed pretty well. Expect Cameron Green to be a wonderful cricketer down the line,” Ashwin said.
By the close of the first day, Green, who has a reputation for big hits while opening the batting for Australia in his brief T20 International career, provided the visitors’ effort a much-needed boost. Then, he and Khawaja dug in and made sure India had a wicketless opening two hours of Day 2. His inning featured 18 home runs.
