They're In Deep Trouble: Michael Clarke Takes Sly Dig At Team India's Attitude

Former Australia skipper Michael Clarke has taken a sly dig at India’s batting tactics in the ongoing first Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval. Team India adopted an extra-ordinary approach for most part of day one as they managed to score just 233 runs for the loss of six wickets in 89 overs.

After Prithvi Shaw departed for a duck in the very first over of the day, Cheteshwar Pujara and Mayank Agarwal decided to block almost every delivery. The duo added only 32 runs in almost 18 overs when Agarwal departed. It brought Virat Kohli at the crease but things did not change much.

Pujara kept blocking the balls before departing for 43. He faced 159 deliveries for his knock that contained not a solitary boundary in the first 147 deliveries he faced. He eventually hit 2 boundaries before Nathan Lyon sent him back. Pujara and Kohli added 68 runs for the third wicket while facing more than 30 overs.

Michael Clarke takes shot at India:

With Team India showing absolutely little intentions of going for the runs on day one of the Test, Michael Clarke has opined that the visitors “are in deep trouble” once Kohli leaves if they don’t fix the key problem. Kohli will return home after the first Test to be at the birth of his first child.

Michael Clarke admitted it may have been a different story if the Kohli’s run-out never happened but he was still adamant the India skipper was the only one at times who looked like wanting to take on the Australian attack.

“He will be fuming he didn’t make 100,” Michael Clarke said on Sky Sports’ Big Sports Breakfast. “He was the pick of the batters and he was the only one that wanted to score runs, everyone else wanted to block it. This has been my concern with India from the start.”

There were some suggestions that the tough conditions and a strong bowling lineup might have made India adopt such a defensive approach with the bat. However, Michael Clarke is having none of it as he maintained India had to change it up.

“I watched some of the Australia A games, I know how Pujara plays. Their attitude is – see this new ball off. I’ve said it before, against Australia in Australia you will get one with your name on it. You’ll get a good ball. You’ll nick it and you’ll be out, all of a sudden you’ll lose two in a row and put your team under so much pressure.

“Can you imagine this Indian batting line-up without Virat Kohli for the next two Test matches? They are in deep trouble. At stages it was very hard to watch,” added the former Australia skipper.

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