“Must be wicked or injured…”: Australia Great’s strong quotes on batsman’s exclusion against India

Legendary Australian cricketer Allan Border is still at pains to understand why middle-order batsman Travis Head was left out of the team that suffered an innings and 132-run defeat against India in the opening Test in Nagpur. Head has been in scintillating form since the 2021/22 Ashes series, where he was named player of the series after Australia won the five-Test series 4-0. He was recently the joint second highest run-scorer during the three-Test series at home against South Africa, which Australia won 2–0.

But despite achieving several milestones over the past year, Matt Renshaw took the selectors’ nod before heading out for the opening Border-Gavaskar Test. Renshaw could not make an impact in Nagpur, getting out for 0 and 2 respectively.

Border felt the Australians were “overthinking” their strategy, and decided to drop Head after two mediocre runs during previous tours to Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

“I thought he (Head) must have been rookie or injured himself…. I couldn’t believe Travis Head could be let off on just one win considering he didn’t play very well last time in India found or when they were in Sri Lanka,” Border said on SEN Radio on Thursday.

“It’s probably a case, but you’re allowed to improve, and Travis Head is one of those players who has gotten better and he showed that during the summer.” Border said that the Australian team had made a very wrong selection for the Nagpur match.

“I think we’ve taken a few things into account worrying about all the little gremlins about the pitch… that’s what you expect when you go out there, they got the planning and the team wrong in the first game ” With fast bowler Mitchell Starc and all-rounder Cameron Green expected to be fit for the second Test starting in New Delhi on Friday, Border felt Australia should revert to their time-tested three-pronged pace attack And only one spinner – Nathan Lyon should be included. in place of Todd Murphy.

Young spinner Murphy made his Nagpur debut and picked up seven wickets while Lyon managed just one wicket.

Border said, “You’ve got to go with Lyon, he’s scored enough brownie points over the years to be picked first.”

“Well done for young Murphy, it’s going to be a tough decision to leave him out, I know the wicket is going to turn, but I think our formula for success is three quicks and a spinner.

“Just throw stump by stump and be relaxed with that strategy, I think it will be better for us than trying to beat them with spin, we’ve tried forever and ever, and it didn’t work. Is.”

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and was auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

featured video of the day

Young women cricketers excited about India-Pakistan clash in T20 World Cup