R Ashwin hopes to get assistance from MCG track in the second innings
The emerging Indian off-spinner, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/R-Ashwin-c2228, hoped Melbourne would offer him some assistance when they would take the field against Australia for the second time in the ongoing Boxing Day Test, underway at the Melbourne Cricket Ground since Monday,
December 26, 2011.
Ashwin, who returned with figures of 3 for 81 in the first innings of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746, said that presently the MCG wicket is hard and solid but hoped it would open up as the game progresses and would assist the slow bowlers later on.
"Hope there are patches which open up. As of now the wicket is hard and solid underneath, it doesn't look like it would break much. Any deviation from the wicket would certainly help,” said Ashwin while talking to media reporters at the post-match press
conference on Tuesday.
At stumps on Day two, India were 214 for 3, with http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Chinnadupargea-Sachin-c50607 Tendulkar’s dismissal in the final over of the day, was still to score a run.
Ashwin said that they would have to put themselves in a good position with the bat by setting a handsome first innings lead and then take it from there. Trailing Australia by 119 runs with seven wickets in hand, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 has a slight edge over the hosts.
Talking about his performance in the first innings, the promising Indian said that he had bowled well but it did not go in his way, adding that the spinners usually do not get much needed assistance from the wicket on the first two days of the game.
"It's not often that spinners get wickets on day one and two,” said the 25-year-old right-arm off spinner from Chennai. "I thought I bowled well but it didn't go my way. You have to test a spinner in the second innings when there are really some patches
that open out,” he added further.
Ashwin said that he had not played enough cricket at MCG this is the reason he was not that familiar with the playing conditions there. He further added that though there was no spin, the ball was drifting both ways and that helped him a lot.
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