IND vs AUS 2nd Test: Allan Border is not impressed with Australian team selection, asks tough questions

IND vs AUS 2nd Test: Just like every other overseas team touring India, Pat Cummins’ Australia too had only one thing going on in their minds that is ‘Indian spin bowling’. Interestingly, the Aussies have the likes of Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Usman Khwaja, and David Warner in their squads, players who have the technique to counter and play spin well. The Australian team and the Australian media were highly critical of the surface that was curated for the 1st Test, but they also goofed up with their team selection.

India defeated Australia by an innings and 132 runs, a crushing defeat that would have left the visitors dejected. Former Australian players such as Mitchell Johnson and Ricky Ponting weren’t quite pleased with the selection of David Warner. The southpaw averages under 30 in India and he managed to register scores of just 1 (first innings) and 10 (second innings). Former World Cup-winning Australian skipper Steve Waugh too couldn’t wrap his head around left-handed batter Travis Head being dropped from the team. Waugh in a very sarcastic manner termed Australian team management as ‘genius’. Now former Australian skipper Allan Border has made his stand clear on the Travis Head fiasco and he didn’t sound impressed either.

Border while speaking to SEN Radio on Thursday said:

I thought he (Head) must have been a crook or injured himself. I just couldn’t believe that Travis Head could be left just on a win that he didn’t play very well in India last time or when they were in Sri Lanka. That’s maybe a case, but you’re allowed to improve, and Travis Head is one of those players that has improved and he showed that during the summer. I think we overthought some of the stuff, worrying about all the little gremlins about the pitch. That’s what you expect when you go over there, they got the plans and the team wrong in the first game.

India are currently 1-0 up in the series and they also happen to be the defending champions of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. India also have their eyes set on the WTC 2023 Final that will be played in June.

(Inputs from PTI)

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