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Many have been quick to jump to conclusions about the AUS Test squad, from debutant Nathan McSweeney taking heat for failing to fire to the need for change in the squad to tackle the fiery Indians.
Australia’s Steve Smith disappointed after his dismissal against India (AFP)
Australia may have incurred an embarrassing loss to India in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but Ravi Shastri believes that it should be no reason for panic or spark knee-jerk reactions within the squad.
India recorded their biggest-ever away win (in terms of runs) by 295 runs in Perth even after getting bowled out for 150 by Australia in their first innings.
Many have been quick to jump to conclusions about the AUS Test squad, from debutant Nathan McSweeney taking heat for failing to fire to the need for change to tackle the fiery Indians.
Shastri though has shut off all the noise, stating that one would be foolish to assume that the defending WTC champions could not bounce back, reinstating faith in the hosts to not have any ‘knee-jerk’ reactions after their loss.
“Never jump the gun when you don’t have bullets to fire with. Or the right ammunition. I have seen a lot of overreactions to Australia’s defeat at Perth over the last two days. But I don’t think there should be any knee jerk reactions to what transpired at the Optus Stadium. Top teams like Australia don’t do that. I do not expect any wholesale changes for Adelaide,” Shastri wrote in his column for Codesports.
Jasprit Bumrah led the team by example from the front, scalping eight wickets while batters Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul helped India put on a show in the second innings to take the game away from the hosts.
This came despite the fact that India were missing their skipper Rohit Sharma and the likes of other star players such as Shubman Gill, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
So, Shastri also reminded the Australian side to not count out the Indians, even if they were missing out their stars, and to rather stay focused on their best combinations to counter the visitors.
“Australia would have realised not for the first or second or third time, that this Indian team is never short of belief, no matter how many star players they’re missing. And especially when they have an exponent with the new-ball like Jasprit Bumrah at the absolute prime of his career. That too while you have instability in the top-order, at least based on current form,” Shastri exclaimed.
You look at the age of the Australian batting line-up and it suggests to me there are a couple who could well be past their prime, even if they do still have the resources and experience to do the job,” wrote Shastri.
