Losing the first Test match and that too with a margin of innings was nothing short of discouraging for the Aussies. Landing in India, they flew straight to Karnataka instead of arriving in Nagpur where the first Test match was scheduled to take place. In the end, it turned out to be for nothing as they were bowled out not once but twice in a span of 48 hours. Now, as they head to New Delhi for the second Test match, former skipper Michael Clarke had pointed out some of the gaffes they committed.
Clarke feels that Travis Head should have started ahead of Matt Renshaw while adding that head coach Andrew McDonald’s defence of Australia’s selections have made things more difficult heading into the second Test with Australia eyeing a comeback.
“Travis Head at No.5, if you start with him and it doesn’t work, then you can make a change,” he said on Sky Sports Radio’s Big Sports Breakfast. “Now, they either shoot themselves in the foot if they drop Matthew Renshaw because they say ‘okay, we made a mistake’, and Andrew McDonald has come out and said ‘we haven’t made a mistake’. They’ve put themselves in such a tough position.”
After Hue and Cry, Australian Team Does Optional Practice Session In Nagpur
The Australian cricket team had a practice session at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium at Jamtha here on Monday, opting to utilise the extra day they got to stay in Nagpur because the first ended in three days.
According to VCA officials, the Aussies sought the ground from 10 AM for practice on what could actually have been the fifth day of the match as per the schedule. But the match ended on the third itself after Pat Cummins’ side stumbled to 91 all out in their second innings inside one session as they were humbled by innings and 132 runs by Rohit Sharma’s side thanks to superb bowling by Ravindra Jadeja, in the first innings, and Ravichandran Ashwin in the second.
On Sunday, the Aussies had sought to practice on the same central wicket on which they had suffered the debacle, getting out for 91, their lowest-ever score on Indian soil. However, they had to cancel that session as the groundsmen had watered the pitch after the match so that they can start getting it ready for the next match.
But after their former players made a lot of hue-and-cry over losing the opportunity to bat on that low bounce, slow spinning track, the team scheduled an ‘optional’ training session on Monday, which means the players can choose to take part in the practice session or opt-out,
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