RAJKOT: For a batsman who had just completed a well-crafted century to raise the stakes for
England ,
Moeen Ali wasn't exactly grinning from ear to ear after the day's play. Instead, he cut a solemn figure after bowling six overs and two maidens.
Alastair Cook handed Ali the ball as early as the sixth over after the pace duo of
Stuart Broad and
Chris Woakes had finished their first spells.
ALSO READ: Perfect time for Gambhir to step upZafar Ansari and
Adil Rashid would soon join in. Ali knows very well that if India settle down neatly on this track, which still is not gift wrapped for the bowlers, he'll have a lot of bowling to do on Friday. To be fair to his Indian counterparts -
Ashwin , Jadeja and Mishra - Ali noted: "There was no spin yesterday, only towards the end of the day today. I am sure the wicket will get tougher as the day progress."
ALSO READ: Five talking points from day twoHe is hoping that India fall apart in trying to catch up with England's 537 all out. But for that to happen, the visitors will have to make inroads in the first session and spinners will have to play their part.
"The pitch was very good for batting on the first two days, but as you can see, it has become a bit slower and lower as the day progressed and some of the deliveries were also spinning towards the end of the day's play," Ali added.
The 29-year-old off break bowler, a role model already for his younger co-spinners in the team Ansari and Rashid, will be expected to show them the way forward.
"I don't know if they (India) will play me differently because today they just wanted to bat out the day. Maybe tomorrow we will know if they will tackle me differently," Ali said, knowing very well that the onus will be on him.
A No. 5 batsman for England now, and not No. 7 like earlier, Ali had to do a lot of thinking on Thursday with the bat too as he went about pacing his innings and trying to bat long.
"I have worked very hard and have started taking the responsibility as a batsman," he says.
Now for his primary role as England's lead spinner, he'll have the responsibility to shoulder for which England have flown him here.