During the ongoing Test series in India, Ravi Shastri, the former Team India coach, commented on Australia’s struggles, stating that several Aussie batters still need to demonstrate the required application in harsh batting conditions. In both Tests held in Nagpur and Delhi, the Australian batting unit crumbled within three days, scoring just 91 and 113 runs in their second innings, respectively. Speaking on an episode of the ICC Review, Shastri criticized Australia’s lack of trust in their defense, stating they needed to spend more time at the crease and refrain from immediately going for big shots.
Shastri said: “I think application more than anything else—the lack of belief in their defense. The lack of application and discipline was unreal, and Australia paid for it big time. It’s crucial to go back to the basics and the drawing board.”
He added: “If you don’t trust your defense, you have no chance because that’s when you entertain thoughts of breaking free much quicker than you normally should. Sometimes you’ve got to spend some time at the crease, but how will you spend some time if you don’t trust your defense?”
In the first innings of the Delhi Test, Australia showed their best batting performance of the series, scoring 263 runs, led by Usman Khawaja’s 81 and Peter Handscomb’s 72. Pat Cummins also contributed with a valuable knock of 33 runs in that innings.
Ravi Shastri On India’s 4-0 Win: Sending A Strong Signal To The Opposition
Shastri acknowledged that despite the vastly different conditions, a 4-0 defeat could have a significant psychological impact on Australia leading up to the World Test Championship (WTC) final. However, he also noted that the return of Australia’s injured fast bowlers could change the dynamic of the match. He said, “A 4-0 win here psychologically does send a strong signal to the opposition. There will be an impact, but conditions are different as Australia will have their fast bowlers back as many of them are injured.”
