Adelaide: Batting great Sunil Gavaskar has expressed his disappointment with the Indian bowlers’ lack of success with the pink ball on the opening day of the second Test against Australia here, saying they ought to have done better.
Australia were comfortably placed at 86 for one at stumps after bowling out India for 180 in their first innings, thanks to pacer Mitchell Starc’s six-wicket haul.
Speaking on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, “They have to make the batters play as much as they can. And this is what happens when you make the batters play as much as you can.
India, after managing 180 runs in the first innings, could pick just one wicket before the end of first day’s play. Marnus Labuschagne and Nathan McSweeney will resume the Australian innings on Saturday at 86/1 while the hosts are still 94 runs behind.
The visitors will look to bounce back and fold the Australian innings as soon as possible. Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar observed that the Indian bowlers hadn’t used the pink ball properly. Speaking to Star Sports, the batting legend opined that Bumrah & Co should make the batters play as much as they can by setting them up.
“They have to make the batters play as much as they can. And this is what happens when you make the batters play as much as you can. You can set them up by bowling a couple of deliveries outside and then get the ball to move back in, as it did to Nathan McSweeney in the Perth Test, or to Labuschagne in the Perth Test, like what Bumrah did. The Indian bowlers have not really used the pink ball as well as they should have,” Gavaskar observed.
Jasprit Bumrah was once again the best Indian bowler on show and picked up the only wicket to fall in Australia’s innings, having Usman Khawaja caught at first slip with a beauty. The Indian pace spearhead will need more support from fellow fast bowlers on Saturday.
