Today was another perfect attrition day for us, says Ashwin

India's off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin praised the bowlers for their performance on the second day of the first Test against Australia here on Friday.

Travis Head's fighting 61 off 149 balls helped Australia reach 191/7 at stumps after Ashwin took three top-order wickets and helped the visitors dominate the day's play.

Apart from him, Ishant Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah took two wickets each.

"We don't isolate it as a fast bowling or spin bowling pack. We identify it as a bowling unit together because one cannot exist without the other. Today was another perfect attrition day for us," Ashwin said at the post-match press conference.

"I thought we really bottled them up, soaked them up and put on pressure from both ends," Ashiwn, the most successful visiting bowler with figures of 3/50, added.

Australia trailed by 59 runs and Ashwin said the Test was still on equal terms.

"I bowled an extended 22-over spell even before and after tea to make sure that we do not give away more runs. "I see it as neck-and-neck in the game.

"Whoever can get momentum from hereon has the edge in this Test. I think it is extremely well poised. Every run is going to be gold dust from here," he added.

About the pitch condition, Ashwin said: "I thought there was a bit more stickiness yesterday and the speed has definitely come down. When we were batting yesterday I don't think it was as slow as it was today.

"I think the wicket has slowed down considerably and I don't expect it to quicken up more either. I think it's going to slow down more."

"I don't know what's going to happen because it is a drop-in wicket. Because of the amount of grass I don't see the footmarks widening as much as they did the last time (in 2014). If anything has to be done, you have to do it on the fourth or fifth day. We need to see how much it grips," he added.

Asked about bowling to the Australian left-handers, in particular Shaun Marsh, whom he has dismissed five times now, Ashwin said, "I have dismissed quite a few other left-handers many more times. He is a fantastic player.

"There is a certain pattern that we saw through his videos before we got into the game. It was a sort of initial set-up that we wanted to do," he added.

--IANS

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