Australia pacer Josh Hazlewood will take no part in the pink-ball Test against India, starting in Adelaide on Friday, having been ruled out of the match owing to a side strain. Hazlewood was the pick of the bowlers for Australia in the series-opener as he returned match figures of 5/57, but couldn’t evite a 295-run loss in Perth. He claimed four in the first innings as India were bowled for 150 in the first innings. However, Australia crumbled to 106 all out, giving India the upper hand which the visitors did not throw away.
Chasing 534 in the second innings, Australia slumped to 238 all out to lose the game by 295 runs.
Hazlewood, however, fueled rumours of a rift in the dressing room, having seemingly suggested at a press conference that the batters should be held responsible for the collapse.
As Hazlewood was ruled out of the day-night game in Adelaide, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar hinted that the pacer was dropped from the team, due to his remarks at the press conference.
“The panic in the Australian ranks is palpable, with former players calling for heads to be chopped off and some even hinting at cracks in the Australian team after Josh Hazlewood’s media interview at the end of the third day’s play, where he suggested that it was up to the batters to now do something,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.
“Now, a few days later, Hazlewood is out of the second Test and possibly the series too with a supposed side strain. Strange, that, since nobody had noticed anything wrong with Hazlewood at that media conference. Mystery, mystery – the like of which used to be common in Indian cricket in the past. Now, it’s the Aussies and like Old McDonald, I’m simply loving it,” he added.
Reacting to the comments made by Gavaskar, Australia batter Travis Head hit back at the former India captain, labelling his comments as ‘funny’.
“I was surprised at Sunny’s comments. They were pretty funny. Dropping ‘Hoff’ (Hazlewood) and throwing a couple of daggers and shooting across the bow, but who cares? It is what it is. Everyone is paid to have an opinion,” Head told The Willow Talk Podcast.
Former Australia captain Aaron Finch also rubbished the remarks made by Gavaskar.
“It’s not jabs anymore. Sunny is throwing haymakers over the top. It’s quite funny because, having spent a lot of time with him during the first test, he was not saying things like that. He was very respectful of the current Australian group. But now he has just gone bang,” Finch told ESPNcricinfo.
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