Australia v India 4th test board, Virat Kohli century

India is 3-289 and 191 ranks behind thanks to Shubman Gill’s superb 128 wounds.

Australia have struggled to break through on Ahmedabad’s flat deck and this match appears to be heading for a draw unless either side can start early on the fourth day.

The Steve Smith side needs wickets and India will need fast runs to fix the problem in this test.

Indian commentators believe that Rohit Sharma should seriously consider calling behind in order to achieve the result given that they have already received the Border-Gavascar trophy.

16:07 – INDIA 4-324. MURPHY BOWLES THREE STRAIGHT GIRLS WHEN THE PITCH “MAKS”

Todd Murphy has filed three consecutive maidens – two to Indian maestro Virat Kohli – as commentators predict a fourth trial is about to come to life.

Veteran commentator Harsha Bhogl – the voice of Indian cricket – believes the field has finally “revived” after three days of inactivity.

Indian superstar Shreyas Iyer may be unable to bat due to back problems, meaning India could actually be five wickets behind and vulnerable if Australia can take a couple of quick wickets before dinner.

After an hour of play, India is 156 points behind in the first innings.

15:41 – INDIA 4-318. INJURY DRAMA REDUCES INDIA

At the start of day four, India were rocked by Todd Murphy’s wicket and an injury that threatens to weaken their squad for the remainder of the match.

Shreyas Iyer was sent for a back scan and was unable to get to the crease when Ravi Jadeja fell early on Murphy to give Australia another sniff of the flat gate in Ahmedabad.

Wicket-keeper K.S. Bharat went to center instead to keep team-mate Virat Kohli (69) out.

If Ayer can’t bat, that means India is effectively five wickets behind and still 162 behind.

A draw is a favorite outcome, but Australia could give themselves a shot if they beat India in the next two sessions.

India’s plan would allow them to beat all day and gain enough lead that they could drop Australia to try and survive on the fifth day and tie.

Murphy got his second wicket when he lured Jadea into a free throw when he tried to hit the spinner on the ground, but he conceded to Usman Khawaja midway through the game.

Kohli is chasing his first test century in three years.

Usman Khawaja started was invaluable to Australiabut the national selectors have the formidable task of deciding what exactly he is worth.

Australian Cricket’s annual contract list, to be announced next month, traditionally rewards players of all formats with the most attractive contracts.

But there is a strong case that Khawaja and Marnus Labusagne should be in the top 5 this year based solely on their test-level prowess.

It’s a huge challenge because to single them out, the selectors would have to drop Josh Hazlewood and David Warner from the list in a year in which both men could still be 50+ Esches and World Cup deciders.

Last year, Pat Cummins, Warner, Hazlewood, Mitchell Stark and Steve Smith were among the top five highest paid cricketers in Australia.

The all-form prowess of these five stars makes them incredibly difficult to shake off the top echelon, but at least this year the selectors have something to seriously think about.

Ultimately, all players will be assigned an overall rating, but first the selectors must sit down and determine the rating list for red and white ball cricket.

The first question should be, is Khawaja now the best test batsman in Australia?

The 36-year-old’s stunning form, in which he has broken six hundred since being recalled to Test cricket 14 months ago, is so compelling that it begs the question whether Khawaja has replaced world number one. 1 Labuschagne and the greatest Australian Smith as our best test bat.

Great Test Matthew Hayden believes Khawaja will be a key figure on the Ashes tour this year.

Khawaja may not have more than 12-24 months left in Test cricket given his age, but given what he has done and what he is capable of for Australia in the Ashes, he at least deserves to earn his the biggest contract this year. year.

Labushan should also get promoted given his years of consistency since performing on the last Ashes tour in 2019.

Being No. 1 A test batsman has to count on something.

And, of course, Cameron Green. A new full-length prototype, which is simply obliged to pay a million dollars for its first test century.

Australia’s top cricketer earns roughly $2 million and then there is a sliding scale where at least the top seven players earn over $1 million.

Nathan Lyon came in second in the rankings. 6 last year and still ranks first in the world. 1 spinner.

It would be a bold selection committee to turn down proven champions like Hazlewood and Warner who have so much at stake this year.

If the selectors haven’t yet made the decision not to take Warner to England (there’s no evidence of that), then he remains an integral part of Australia’s plans for this year, especially considering he’s still a beast as an ODI batsman in a World Cup year. .

Early next year, he will also play a central role in Australia’s hopes of entering the T20 World Cup in the West Indies.

Hazlewood has struggled to stay at the park for the past two years but if he keeps fit he could become Australia’s key bowler in English conditions.

At ODI level, he is ranked higher than Pat Cummins and is the best fast T20 in Australia.

Decisions won’t be as tough at the bottom of the rankings, especially as there is a feeling that Cricket Australia could expand the list of contracts this year.

This means that daredevils like Spencer Johnson and Lance Morris are likely to be rewarded and heavily invested in the future.