After a strong performance by Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head on the final day of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2023, Australia was able to keep India hunting for wickets.
Early in the day, R Ashwin eliminated the nightwatchman Matthew Kuhnemann using an undercutter that trapped him LBW, giving India a lift. This also signaled the beginning of a stretch of play during which all three of India's spinners gained some ground on the field.
There were many plays and misses throughout, but Head and Labuschagne were able to quickly move beyond them. Every time a chance to do so presented itself, both batters attempted to score runs and took advantage of Ashwin's lofted pitches.
On the day, Ashwin continued to lead India and asked several questions, even though the answers did not always go in his favor. On a mostly favorable surface, he kept India's pursuit for wickets alive. Late in the first session, Head held off an Ashwin LBW review with the umpire's call standing, meaning India did not also lose the review.
When the runs came in a trickle during the second session, Head and Labuschagne were more at ease. Without much pain, they were able to take the lead and extend it further.
Head reached his maiden Test fifty of the series and appeared poised to surpass it when, while attempting to drive off the rough, he was bowled through the gate. Meanwhile, Labuschagne battled his way to his first fifty of the series and stayed unchallenged until Tea. KS Bharat lost Steve Smith for a duck during what may have been his final innings in India, but he still managed to score an unbroken run.
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