NEW DELHI: Former cricketers, including Sunil Gavaskar, strongly criticized Indian batting performance after a disappointing defeat to Australia in the World Test Championship final on Sunday.
India, chasing a challenging target of 444 for victory, started day five at 164-3 with Virat Kohli at the crease but collapsed to 234 all out in the first session at the Oval.
“The batting was in shambles today. It was just ridiculous what we saw,” remarked Gavaskar during an interview with Star Sports following India’s 209-run loss. “India’s batting lineup couldn’t even last a session. I mean, come on!”
This marked India’s second consecutive defeat in the final of Test cricket’s prestigious event, extending their world-title drought since their triumph in the 2013 Champions Trophy in the one-day format.
The collapse was triggered by Australia’s fast bowler Scott Boland, who claimed two crucial wickets in the space of three deliveries, including the dismissal of Virat Kohli for 49.
In the first innings, India fell behind by 173 runs, getting bowled out for 296 in response to Australia’s total of 469. Ajinkya Rahane showed resilience for India, scoring 89 and 46 in the first and second innings, respectively, while Travis Head starred for Australia with a remarkable 163 in the first innings.
Former Indian Cricketers Terms Team’s Performance Ridiculous
Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar shared a technical observation on Twitter, highlighting the eagerness of Indian batters to come forward even against short-pitched deliveries, unlike players such as Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, and Joe Root who play them back.
During a TV interview with India coach Rahul Dravid, former India captain Sourav Ganguly pointed out the ordinary batting averages of India’s top six batsmen. Dravid acknowledged that the team did not meet their usual high standards.
“They (the batsmen) will agree this was not up to their standards,” Dravid stated. “But these are the same batters who have won two-Test series in Australia and have won Test matches in England.”
“We are working on it,” Dravid added. “Some of the wickets in this Test championship cycle have been quite challenging, but this was a good wicket. So the averages have fallen, but we admit that if we back our bowlers with runs, they will win Tests for us.”
The criticism of India’s batting reflects the disappointment among fans and experts, urging the team to address their shortcomings and make improvements ahead of future challenges in Test cricket.
