It was the 15th over of the Australian innings, and the visitors were doing well, with David Warner and Usman Khawaja building a partnership of 42 runs. However, India’s bowling attack managed to get a wicket, with Mohammad Shami taking the wicket of David Warner in the 15th over.
India bowled well and Australia scored quickly regardless, and R Ashwin started his ninth over with 15 minutes to go for lunch, Australia were 88 for 1.
A real, old-fashioned offbreak, delivered with as much overspin as sidespin, R Ashwin drew Labuschagne forward with the fourth ball of his over.
Due to the drift, Labuschagne’s front pad crossed to the off side, and the dip made the ball land just a little shorter than he thought it would. In fact, it landed just about where it should have been on this Delhi pitch: full enough so that it wouldn’t bounce over the stumps, but not too full so that Labuschagne could get close to the pitch and smother it.
After the ball spun back into Labuschagne’s leg, his bat had to slice across his pad in order to reach it because his front leg was solidly in its line. He missed, and Ashwin went up in righteous appeal – DRS went on to validate his instincts, showing that there was no inside edge, and the ball struck the pad in line with off stump.
This spectacular piece of bowling is a reminder to all batters of the skilful adjustments Ashwin regularly makes to his run-up, load-up and rock-back. This precise combination of pace, length and trajectory has become a signature moment for India fans, as Ashwin’s routine has delivered time and again over seven or eight overs into his first spells.
After just one ball, Smith was taken for a duck as a simple catch landed in the hands of the wicketkeeper, in effect ending Smith’s innings with no runs scored. As well, Smith was dismissed by non-turning balls in both Tests shortly after seeing other batters dismissed by sharp turns. When deadly accuracy meets natural variation, errors are inevitable, and you have to be lucky to survive them. It’s just the way cricket works. It was luck that favored Smith in Pune, but it has turned against him in this one.
He hit the perfect spot twice in the same over on Friday. It may well have been Ashwin’s most magical over in his career.
