File photo of Sunil Gavaskar and Josh Hazlewood© AFP
After India defeat Australia comprehensively in the first match of the Border Gavaskar Trophy in Pert, Pacer Josh Hazlewood made an interesting comment. When asked what the hosts could do to make a comeback in the five-match series, Hazlewood said: “You probably have to ask one of the batters that question… I’m probably looking mostly towards the next Test.” The comment was picked up by several former cricketers, who wondered if there was a divide in the Australia dressing room.
“I wonder if there’s a divide in Andrew McDonald‘s team between the batters and bowlers,” Gilchrist said on Fox Sports.
Former India captain Sunil Gavsakar used the comment and wrote in a column for Sportstar about panic in Australian team.
“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, former Australia pacer Mitchell Johnson has accused Gavaskar of using a media platform to “distract, disrupt, annoy” Australia.
“The other one that caught my attention was Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar‘s column on Hazlewood, suggesting he was dropped for his mild comments at the press conference rather than being left out with a legitimate side injury. With respect to Gavaskar and his commentary in general – I’ve enjoyed working with him in the past and learned a lot just sitting and listening to him talk about the game – his take this week is nothing more than a wind-up,” Mitchell Johnson wrote in a column for The Nightly.
“Gavaskar is using his media platform to distract, disrupt, annoy, and take advantage of a comment Hazelwood made. That’s Gavaskar’s job, to make comments on what he sees, but it was done for no other reason than to get a reaction and aid India.”
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