Sydney, Jan 4: India had a punishing day on the field as Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke plundered runs to take the hosts to a 291-run lead. Ponting, the only wicket to fall during the course of the day, departed for 134 but Michael Hussey, who replaced him in the middle, continued to take the attack to the bowlers.

Offspinner R Ashwin reflected on the day in a TV interview after stumps on Day 2.

Excerpts:

On the tough day in the field

We were always going to [have to play] catch up [in] the game whatever we did after getting all out for [191] on the first day. The wicket is pretty good and we didn’t really capitalise on it and it is going to be catch-up game. I thought Clarke and Ponting really played positively and took the game away from us.

On the wicket appearing to be different than it did when India were batting

It can happen. It’s a hard game, isn’t it? As I said, they got off to a very positive start [today] with Ponting and Clarke which meant we had to get back to our line and length. The ball is getting old and after it gets old it is very much a batters’ game. Apart from that, we couldn’t get any lateral movement off the wicket. There was enough swing in the morning but it just faded away with the second new ball. […]

On whether India lost the initiative with Australia scoring 120 runs off 27 overs in the first session

Even last evening we gave away about 30-40 runs extra towards the end [...]. Ponting was batting on 40-odd and Clarke was batting on 40-odd too. They just dictated terms to us right from the beginning today and it’s going to be hard to come back from that.

On India’s plans to salvage the game

We have to look to bat long and bat hard and dig deep in the game from now on […] There are no demons in the wicket so we have to look to bat hard and deep into this game now.

On whether the mental aspect was crucial to success in the game

Probably, yes. If a couple of batsmen get going upfront, it will settle nerves down the order and probably we can capitalise and score some big runs.