Former India wicket-keeper, Deep Dasgupta is disappointed with the approach of Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara while batting in the first session of Day 3 of the ongoing Test against Australia in Sydney. Dasgupta feels that the batsmen should have scored quicker as the ball got softer.
Rahane and Pujara continued to bat on their overnight scores of 5(40) and 9(53), respectively, on the morning of the third day. They put on a partnership of 32 runs in 22 overs. The stand-in skipper was bowled by Pat Cummins after making 22 runs from 70 balls. Pujara notched up his first half-century of the tour – albeit his slowest Test fifty – in 174 balls, and was dismissed by Pat Cummins a couple of balls later.
Between the wickets of the two senior batsmen, Hanuma Vihari ran himself out after a 38-ball stay scoring just 4 runs. India collapsed from 195/4 to 244 all-out giving the hosts a lead of 94 runs.
“It was Pujara, Hanuma, and Ajinkya. In 35 overs, they got 57 runs. Once the Kookaburra ball is old, you have to capitalize on it, knowing very well that the second new ball is coming. You can’t be just playing out (time) there. That’s what is disappointing,” Deep Dasgupta told Sports Today.
Expected Rahane and Pukjara to be a little more aware: Deep Dasgupta
Deep Dasgupta opines that the two senior batters lacked match awareness after India started the day in a strong position with just 2 wickets down for 96 runs.
The 43-year-old is unimpressed in the manner that both the batsmen refrained from looking to score runs: The pair had made nine in the last ten overs at the end of Day 2, and on the third day morning they got only 11 off seven overs in the opening half-hour. Australia, by stumps on Day 3 has a healthy lead of 197 and is on their way to bat India out of the game.
“All I am saying is, there needs to be a little more game awareness, understanding where the game will flow in the coming session or two. That’s where I was a little disappointed. Yes, we all know Pujara plays the way he does but someone as experienced as him and along with that someone like Ajinkya, you would expect them to be a little more aware of where the game stood after that first 30 minutes on Day 3,” added the former keeper.
