R Ashwin dismisses Shaun Marsh for 2 runs | Photo Credit: AP

Ravichandran Ashwin proved his credentials as India's No. 1 Test spinner as he bagged three quick wickets on Day 2 of the first Test against Australia to put the visitors in the driving seat. After Ishant Sharma drew first blood by removing Aaron Finch, Ashwin bagged the wickets of Marcus Harris, Shaun Marsh and Usman Khawaja. Marsh, who was bowled by Ashwin after an inside edge deflected the ball onto the stumps, hence broke an unwanted 130-year-old record in Australian cricket.

A run of torrid form continues for Marsh as he registered his sixth successive single digit score – having been dismissed by Ashwin for just 2 runs – and became the first Australian since 1888 to do so. The extent of poor form can be understood with the fact that Marsh he has played a total of 13 Test innings without scoring more than 40 runs from his bat.

Marsh was also criticised by former Australian spinner Kerry O’Keeffe for the shot selection while ex-England captain Michael Vaughan said that it was terrific planning by Kohli to get Marsh's wicket. (India vs Australia, 1st Test Day 2- LIVE Score)

“If it’s wide and you have to strike it on the up, let it go,” O’Keeffe opined as a Fox Cricket expert. “Why is he not leaving that ball? It is an innocuous nothing and it’s cost him his wicket. That is again Shaun Marsh’s lack of rhythm. He has to play the big shot to get underway. Virat Kohli knew that and said ‘if you want to play the big shot the four is there for you.’ He fell into Kohli’s plan.”

Vaughan, meanwhile, full of praise for Ashwin and Kohli for the planning and plotting that led to Marsh's dismissal. “Full credit to Ashwin and Virat Kohli because the field has been kept. So often in this modern era, you see the field drop deep and that allows easy singles. He just bowled it slower and wider and said ‘go on’ to Shaun Marsh. The field was set perfectly. The carrot was dangled and he bit it nicely,” he said.

Marsh's dismissal brought Australia 4 down for 87 runs, with Ashwin being the destructor-in-chief.