File photo of Rohit Sharma© AFP

Former England captain Michael Vaughan expressed his frustration with the inconsistent batting form of Indian batter Shubman Gill while Australia’s wicketkeeper-batting legend Adam Gilchrist had a witty remark for the stylish cricketer. Vaughan and Gilchrist were speaking on the Club Prairie Fire podcast hosted by them. They assessed performances during the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Gill had a poor series, scoring just 93 runs in five innings at an average of 18.60 with best score of 31. It was a huge downgrade from his Test debut in Australia in 2020-21 BGT, where he made 259 runs in three matches at an average of 51.80 with two fifties, with his iconic knock of 91 during the run chase of 328 at Brisbane being his best score.

Speaking on the podcast, Vaughan said about Gill that though he is “elegant”, he needs to get bigger scores.

“4/10 (Gill’s performance rating), He [Gill] frustrates me. He has got to get bigger scores. He is one that wonderful, the elegant one as how we call him,” he said.

Gilchrist said: “I was gonna give Gill a three maybe but I would give him a 4/10, no player in world cricket have better hair than when they take their helmet off. As soon as that helmet comes off is… it is perfect.”

Since that iconic knock at Brisbane in 2021, Gill’s willow has been silent in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia) conditions, having made just 255 runs in eight Tests and 15 innings at an average of 17.00, with best score of 36. He has often failed to capitalise on his steady starts. His overall away numbers are disappointing, with just 649 runs in 13 matches and 24 innings at an average of 29.50, with a century and two fifties to his name and best score of 110.

His numbers at home are way better, having made 1,177 runs in 17 Tests and 31 innings at an average of 42.03, with four centuries and five fifties. His best score is 128.

In 32 Tests, Gill has scored 1,893 runs at a rather underwhelming average of 35.05, with five tons and seven fifties in 59 innings and best score of 128.

India lost the Test series against Australia© AFP

Former England captain Michael Vaughan said he won’t change his stance about Test matches to be played over four days, saying it’s the right way to grow the longer format game in the future and that one has to move on with time. “I won’t change my tune. We’ve got to move with the times. Five-day Test match cricket, love it. Loved the MCG (Test). It would just happen a little bit quicker and the dramatic fifth day would become the dramatic fourth day.

“The great game, which is Test match cricket to survive, not just for our time but going beyond 50, 60, 70, 80 years, I do think it’s now a four-day product so I’m not changing my tune,” said Vaughan to SEN Radio on Monday.

Further adding to his firm stance on playing four-day Tests, Vaughan pointed towards how the recent Sydney Test between India and Australia ended inside three days. “I don’t think it was a great pitch. I looked at the batters batting and I felt sorry for them because it was just doing too much.

“In terms of the amount of overs that were bowled in the series, it’s the third lowest in a five match series in the history of a five match series. We’re looking at a series that we’ve just had where the game is moving on quicker.

“If we go back to flat pitches and teams are getting 500 (runs), of course you need five days of cricket. But if you’re going to play on pitches like this and the ball is going to continue to do just a little bit more then it has done in the past, then we’re not going to need five days that’s for sure,” he said.

He also felt that though the recent Sydney Test between Australia and India didn’t last five days, the public attending the match in stadium still had a very good time, as the Pat Cummins-led side won by six wickets to clinch the series 3-1.

“I think if you speak to any supporter over the last three days and you say to them ‘are you disappointed it finished so quickly’, every single fan that went through the gates (and it was a sell out for three days), they were all royally entertained. It was an amazing Test match. As an entertaining product (and that’s what test cricket has to be), it was brilliant. It was absolutely fantastic,” he concluded.

The dismissal of Indian all-rounder Washington Sundar on day one of the New Year’s Test at the SCG became a topic of debate. It came during India’s first innings when Sundar was adjudged caught behind off Australian captain Pat Cummins. The on-field umpire, Saikat Sharfuddoula, had initially ruled Sundar not out, but Australia opted for a review. TV umpire Joel Wilson spent considerable time analysing the replays to determine whether Sundar had gloved the short-pitched delivery.

The snickometer showed a spike as the ball passed near Sundar’s glove, but the visuals raised questions. One frame appeared to show no spike when the ball was closest to the glove, while the subsequent frame captured a spike.

Wilson concluded that the evidence was sufficient to overturn the on-field decision. The final verdict flashed on the big screen – ‘OUT’ – and Sundar was visibly stunned. He attempted to protest but was directed to leave the field, departing for a score of 14.

JASPRIT BUMRAH IS NOT HAPPY WITH WASHINGTON SUNDAR DECISION:

– Bumrah saying “Last game he didn’t give it out on snicko and now this give out”.pic.twitter.com/TNl69lFcY5

— Tanuj Singh (@ImTanujSingh) January 3, 2025

The decision sparked outrage as former England captain Michael Vaughan called the ruling “awful”, expressing disbelief. “No way is that OUT… that’s an awful decision …,” Vaughan posted on X.

Robin Uthappa, former India batter said, “I’m sorry, but that’s a crap decision! Sure, there was a spike, but from the side angle, there was a clear space between the ball and the glove. There is a lot of ambiguity with these kinds of decisions. The benefit must go to the batter,” Uthappa posted on X.

However, former umpire Simon Taufel defended Wilson, explaining that the protocols justified the decision.

“What Joel Wilson’s looking for here is that spike up to one frame past the glove, and he’s got that spike. There’s nothing else out there, and the ball is underneath the glove. The third umpire is well and truly within his rights, according to the protocols, to determine that’s conclusive evidence for ball on glove,” Taufel stated on Channel 7.

Earlier in the day, another decision involving Wilson went India’s way. Australian players believed Virat Kohli was caught at second slip after edging a delivery from Scott Boland.

It seemed like Steve Smith had got his fingers underneath the ball, but replays showed the ball flicked the grass on the ground, while scooping the ball to Marnus Labuschagne at gully, something that TV umpire Wilson spotted while ruling Kohli not out after seeing various camera angles.

The decision did not sit well with Australian stalwarts Justin Langer and Ricky Ponting, who expressed their dissatisfaction with the call.

File photo of Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal.© AFP

File photo of Ravindra Jadeja© YouTube

Former England captain Michael Vaughan said he does feel sad for Nathan McSweeney, who was dropped from Australia’s squad for the remaining two Tests against India, while acknowledging the rationale behind the decision made by the visitors’. McSweeney opened in the first three Tests against India but made just 72 runs at an average of 14.40, despite not having opened previously in first-class cricket. On Friday, the Australian selectors dropped McSweeney to draft in teenage opener Sam Konstas. “I feel for Nathan, I think he’ll be back – but I totally understand why Australia made this move. I feel for the kid, because of all the people that I’ve seen come into Test cricket over the last 10 years, I don’t think anyone’s been given a harder challenge.

“To face Bumrah in the conditions that he’s had to face now, the pink ball under lights in his second game, in Perth it did all sorts and in Brisbane the ball was moving around. I thought they’d go with McSweeney for Melbourne, and if he failed again, they’d bring Sam (Konstas) in for his home Test at the SCG.

“I don’t think in the long run it’s going to be a bad thing for McSweeney. I think he will end up being an Australian Test cricketer, but I don’t think he’ll be up the top of the order; I think it’ll be down at four or five. If I was McSweeney, next time I get the chance to wear the baggy green, I’d want him to be in the position that he’s played all his life,” said Vaughan to Fox Sports on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Konstas shot into the limelight by scoring twin centuries against South Australia in the opening round of the Sheffield Shield. Those twin centuries also earned him the distinction of being the first teenager to achieve this feat in the Sheffield Shield since the legendary Ricky Ponting did so in 1993.

Konstas had been a member of the Australian team winning this year’s U19 World Cup in South Africa and also scored a century while playing for the Prime Minister’s XI against India in the warn-up pink-ball match at Manuka Oval in Canberra.

Talking about how Konstas would cope to the challenge against Jasprit Bumrah, who never let McSweeney be settled at the crease, Vaughan stated, “Bumrah has had a number of the Australian batters… but I think in Sam Konstas, it’s very clear that he’s going to be a star of the future.”

“I’ve never been a big believer in: ‘What damage can be done to a 19-year-old?’ They’re all just youthful, and all they ever think about is positivity, there’s no baggage. It’s quite exciting when you’ve got a young kid who can clearly play, so what’s the worst thing that can happen – he gets not many runs? Well, that’s been happening anyway!

“If he goes out and gets an innings under his belt against Bumrah’s quality, then you start talking about a seriously high-class player. From a very young age, he’s scored hundreds and he knows how to score hundreds.”

Vaughan signed off by saying Usman Khawaja is also under considerable pressure to perform and that his partner in the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne, starting on Thursday, should be a specialist opener.

“I do think that Usman needs runs in the next two games; I don’t think he can be anywhere near a shoe-in to go to Sri Lanka and the West Indies if he doesn’t score runs in this series, because eventually you have to look to the future. They can’t go three on the trot from the middle order to the top; they’ve got to go with someone who opens the batting,” said Vaughan.

It seemed that Yashasvi Jaiswal had devised a plan to counter Mitchell Starc‘s new ball threat. However, just two balls into India’s first innings of the ongoing third Test against Australia, Starc had Jaiswal caught at forward square leg. After India bowled Australia out for 445 early in the morning session on Day 3, Jaiswal was taking throw-downs before the start of India’s innings. He flicked one towards the Australian team’s huddle, but the ball hit the leg of Cricket Australia’s cameraman.

After his dismissal, former England captain Michael Vaughan took a sly dig at Jaiswal after the youngster failed to replicate his throw-down efforts during the match.

“Five minutes before Jaiswal got out, this is the shot he practiced that whip through mid-wicket, wonderful shot and good balance. And then you go into the match and it’s the same shot but he goes aerial, just flicks it. It was the pressure of the game, in practice it’s perfect,” Vaughan was heard as saying on-air.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri was also disbelief over the dismissal, highlighting how Jaiswal managed to find sole fielder in that region, despite plenty of space to pick out the gap.

“Can you imagine the catch would be there? The man just in front of square, acres of space on the on side and Jaiswal hits it straight to the fielder,” Shastri observed.

Meanwhile, rain stopped play in the third session of Day 3 of the ongoing Test match at The Gabba on Monday as India still trailed Australia’s score by 394 runs.

At Stumps on Day 3, the visitors are struggling at 51/4 with right-hand batter KL Rahul (33*) and team skipper Rohit Sharma (0*) unbeaten at the crease.

The Rohit Sharma-led side resumed the third session from 48/4, trailing by 397 runs, with KL Rahul and skipper Rohit Sharma unbeaten with scores of 30 (52) and 0 (1), respectively.

Most of the third session was washed out as the rain continued to fall throughout the session. This third and final session of the day only witnessed three overs where the Indian side were able to score just three runs.

(With ANI Inputs)

Pat Cummins and Rohit Sharma at toss ahead of the India vs Australia 3rd Test.© AFP