Legendary wicketkeeper-batter Adam Gilchrist slammed the Australian team on Sunday for using tactics “deemed negative, illegal” against India on Sunday, the third day of the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth. Adam Gilchrist is working for Fox Sports as a member of their esteemed commentary panel for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Adam Gilchrist and Michael Vaughan questioned Australia’s bowling tactics on day three of the Perth Test.
Adam Gilchrist and former England captain Michael Vaughan were critical of Labuschagne’s bowling around the wicket, a ploy considered negative. Australia lost the first Test match by a mind-boggling 295 runs, and this is their first defeat at Perth in 5 Test matches.
Australia and Marnus Labuschagne resort to negative tactics in India’s 2nd innings
The Australians were sent on a leather hunt by the Indians who declared their second innings at 487 for 6 after centuries from Yashaswi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli, setting an improbable 534-run target for the home side to win the Test.
Riding on centuries from Yashaswi Jaiswal (161) and Virat Kohli (100*), the visitors declared their second innings at 487/6, setting a mammoth target of 534 for the home side. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Kohli demolished the Australian bowling attack towards the end of India’s second innings. Reddy was the chief destroyer as he slammed 38 off 27 balls.
Australia’s front-line bowlers were totally ineffective and captain Pat Cummins’ decision to use Marnus Labuschagne drew criticism.
Notably, Marnus Labuschagne was brought into the attack by skipper Pat Cummins and the former started bowling outside of Kohli and Reddy’s leg stump to deny them scoring opportunities. Cummins packed the leg side with fielders stationed at the fence to put brakes on India’s scoring rate.
However, to Australia’s dismay, both Virat and Nitish still managed to thread the gaps on the leg side and even took the aerial route to make an absolute mockery of the strategy put in place.
In the last half hour of Indian innings, the hosts looked completely decimated. Adam Gilchrist and former England captain Michael Vaughan both raised concerns over Labuschagne’s negative tactic by bowling around the wicket.
Adam Gilchrist slams Australia for ‘negative, illegal’ tactics against India in 1st Test
Legendary wicketkeeper-batter Adam Gilchrist didn’t mince his words as he slammed the Australian team for using tactics “deemed negative, illegal” against India on Day 3 of the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Perth.
Gilchrist and former England captain Michael Vaughan were critical of Labuschagne bowling around the wicket, a ploy considered negative.
“Have you ever seen such a despondent team of Australian cricketers, resorting to those tactics? What are deemed negative, illegal tactics really by the rulebook?” Gilchrist said on Fox Cricket.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan said he has never seen such an approach by an Australian team.
“It’s not something I’ve seen before from Australia,” Vaughan said on Fox Cricket.
“I’m looking at this Australian side, they’re a terrific side, and for whatever reason they bowl out India for 150, then only bat well enough to only get 104, and then with the ball in hand they had periods where they bowled nicely but that last half an hour is something I’ve not seen in Australia,” Vaughan added.
“Every boundary rider was on the fence, Labuschagne’s bowling around the wicket, he’s bowling negatively.”
Fans also expressed their disappointment at the Australian players, as one ‘X’ user wrote: “Dead set junk from Australia. The bowling and the tactics.”
Another ‘X’ user said “allowing Marnus to continue running in and bowling bouncers is a greater shame on cricket than sandpaper gate”.