"Doesn't Make Any Sense": Australia Great Ridicules India's Ahmedabad Test Strategy

The Indian cricket team didn't get off to the finest of starts in the 4th Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, with Usman Khawaja punishing the hosts with a century on the first day. While there's no denying that not much help was available from the surface to bowlers, Australia great Ian Chappell has also questioned the hosts' strategy to come around the wicket against left-handers, admitting that he couldn't understand the decision.

"One thing I can't understand is India's desire to come around the wicket the whole time to a left-hander. It just doesn't make any sense to me. You speak to all the good left-handers that I've spoken to, and they say that right-arm over the wicket is the toughest guy to face. It's okay every now and again for a bit of a change around the wicket," Chappell told ESPNcricinfo.

Khawaja, the left-hander, hardly looked troubled when facing the Indian bowlers, be it pacers or spinners, as he registered his 14th Test century. Chappell feels the ‘around the wicket strategy' works well in England, but on pitches that are offered in India, it's ridiculous.

"Maybe around the wicket works more in England. But in India, ridiculous, particularly to a player like Usman Khawaja, whose great strength is his onside, and we saw that today. Why would you angle the ball into his pads when that's exactly what he wants? Khawaja looked at ease the whole time. India haven't come up with a solution to Khawaja's batting, and it's really starting to hurt them," Chappell added.

With Australia trailing the 4-match assignment 1-2, Khawaja has given laid the platform for the tourists to forge a comeback and go for a series-levelling win in the Ahmedabad Test.
 

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Australia Cricket Team Usman Khawaja Ian Michael Chappell Rohit Sharma India vs Australia, 2023 Cricket