Legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar believes the panic in Australian team environment is very much evident, citing Josh Hazlewood‘s comments, after losing to India by 295 runs in the first Test at Perth. The heavy defeat meant Australia are now 1-0 behind in the five-match series, with the second game, a pink-ball affair, set to happen in Adelaide on December 6. “The panic in the Australian ranks is palpable, what 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.
“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,” wrote Gavaskar in his column for Sportstar on Monday.
He further appreciated young left-handed opener Yashasvi Jaiswal for his brilliant 161 in the second innings, and pointed out how he quickly made adjustments to shine in Perth and pile the misery more on Australia after being dismissed for an eight-ball duck in the first innings.
“That young Yashasvi Jaiswal showed he is a quick learner was evident by the straightness of his bat at the start of the second innings. As he settled down with wonderful guidance from K.L. Rahul at the other end, one could see the Aussie shoulders sagging at the inevitability of another big hundred from this prodigy. Their heads drooped even more as Virat Kohli cashed in on the solid platform set by the opening pair to get another century in Australia.”
At the same time, Gavaskar appreciated all-rounder Nitish Reddy for showing admirable temperament with the bat in Perth, where he made scores of 47 and 38 not out, apart from picking a scalp. “These two hundreds were terrific, as was the 200-plus opening partnership, but the most impressive innings was from Nitish Reddy.
“He showed an awareness of what was required, which belied the fact that he was making his Test debut. Even in the first innings, he displayed a refreshing grasp of scoring opportunities and ended up as the top scorer. His bowling too came in handy, and his fielding was outstanding. Here is a man for the future.”
Gavaskar signed off by saying he was utterly fortunate to have seen the Perth Test win in person and lauded stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah for his eight-wicket match haul which propelled India towards the convincing victory.
“What a splendid win, one of the best I have been privileged to be present at. All the boasts about how the pitch is going to be pacy and bouncy and scare the living daylights out of the Indian batters were exactly that — the boasts of a bully. Mind you, it wasn’t the Aussie players but their support staff in the media, both electronic and print, who were trying to be scaremongers.
“This time India goes to Adelaide, having once again proven all the experts wrong in Perth with a performance that can be ranked in the top 10 victories in recent times. Jasprit Bumrah led from the front with a bowling effort that would have tested the greatest of batters across eras.
“He was constantly at them, and there was hardly a delivery that the batters could relax against, as he asked uncomfortable questions regularly. While Bumrah definitely had help from the pitch, the way the batters batted on an unfamiliar surface was most heartening.”
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