Credit To The Australian Bowlers For Pulling Off A Miraculous Performance Against India – Sunil Gavaskar

Former India captain, Sunil Gavaskar comes to the defence of the Indian batsmen by saying that the Australian bowling was so good that any other team could have also struggled.

India suffered its most humiliating batting collapse as one by one the batters followed each other into the middle and then in quick time back to the dressing room. The visitors threw away the 54-run advantage they gained in the first innings after Australian pacers – Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins – ran through the batting order as India registered their lowest ever inning total of 36 in Test cricket- the previous lowest was 42 versus England in 1974.

Australia chased down the target of 90 comfortably as opener Joe Burns looks to have regained his form with a 63-ball 51.

Any team would have struggled: Sunil Gavaskar

Speaking to the broadcaster after the match, Sunil Gavaskar admitted that the Indian batsmen didn’t play well enough, however, he believes that any other team as well wouldn’t have fared too much better as well against the kind of bowling from Australian pacers today.

Moreover, Sunil Gavaskar feels other teams wouldn’t have scored too many more run than what India managed against the lethal and accurate bowling of Cummins and Hazlewood.

“I have got to also say that most of the teams if they had been facing that kind of bowling they would have also got into trouble. Maybe not all out for 36, it might have been maybe 72 or maybe 90 the way Hazlewood and Cummins bowled,” Sunil Gavaskar told 7 Cricket.

Apart from Cummins and Hazlewood, who took 4 wickets and 5 wickets respectively, the 71-year-old heaped praise for Mitchell Starc. The former opener reckons that the left-arm paceman also bowled a threatening 3-over spell. Hence, Gavaskar opines that Indian batsmen batter poorly, but credit should be given to the Aussie pacers as well.

“And the earlier spell of 3 overs from Mitchell Starc asked a lot of questions. So, it’s not fair to blame the Indian batsmen for the way they got out because it was just simply superb bowling by the Australian bowlers. As I said, any team would have struggled,” added Sunil Gavaskar.

"It's not fair to blame the Indian batsmen for the way they got out because it was just simply superb bowling by the Australian bowlers."

– Sunil Gavaskar on India's second innings batting #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/sy6Gvw2k2k

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 19, 2020

The action moves to Melbourne for the Boxing Day Test on 26th December. India will be without the services of their regular skipper, Virat Kohli who will leave for home to attend the birth of his child. Ajinkya Rahane will lead the side in the next three Test matches.

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