Team India and Australia shake hands following the first Test.© AFP
India achieved a spectacular victory over Australia in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series, at Perth. Australia were defeated in humiliating fashion, losing by a massive margin of 295 runs. In the aftermath of the game, former Australia T20I captain and current chairman of selectors George Bailey joined the players and staff in shaking hands with the victorious Indian team. This action of Bailey’s came under tremendous criticism from former Australia wicket-keeper Ian Healy after the match.
“He went out and shook hands with everyone, he did the whole shaking hands in a conga line,” said Healy to SEN Cricket.
“I would be thinking if I’m an Indian cricketer, ‘What do I need to shake your hand for, you’re the chairman of selectors? I just want to hurry up and get this win celebrated’,” Healy further said.
Bailey was also criticised by SEN Cricket commentator Pat Welsh, who termed that his time as chairman of selectors could be shortlived if results continue this way.
“What’s the Chairman of Selectors doing sitting there in a tracksuit? He should be in a corporate box somewhere watching and taking notes,” Welsh said.
Bailey has been the chairman of selectors for Australian cricket since 2021, a period in which Australia have won the 2023 Cricket World Cup and the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final.
Australia’s heavy defeat drops them down from No. 1 spot in the WTC 2023-25 cycle standings, with India reclaiming that position.
However, with four more Test matches remaining in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, there is plenty of time for fortunes to change.
Meanwhile, Australia’s head coach Andrew McDonald has expressed support for the current crop of players, suggesting that the same team would be retained for the pink-ball day-night second Test in Adelaide, starting from December 6.
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