Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has raised questions against the Rohit Sharma-led team for playing two spinners, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, if they were not trusted much to bowl more overs in the on-going Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against Australia.
In India bowling out Australia for 474, with Steve Smith top-scoring with 140, left-arm spin all-rounder Jadeja picked 3-78 in 23 overs while off-spin all-rounder Sundar, brought in for Shubman Gill in the playing eleven, bowled only 15 overs and took 1-49. Both Jadeja and Sundar got to bowl only after 40 overs were done on day one's play.
"I thought the bowling was pretty ordinary. They ran out of ideas, India. Spin wasn't used as much as it should have. It took a gap of 40 overs before Jadeja was introduced into the attack.".
It took a long time for Washington Sundar to bowl his first over. So when you're playing two spinners, you have to ask the question, why did you play two spinners? What was the need if you don't trust them?" said Shastri on Star Sports.
He also called India’s bowling performance ordinary and pointed out that they looked bereft of ideas in stopping a sparkling Australian batting performance. “I think India ran out of ideas. There’s absolutely no doubt about that. Because what Australia did was, there would have been a game plan.
"Let's ensure we don't lose too many wickets in that first 45 minutes. Try and add another 50 runs on the board. They were 311 for 6. Their first aim would have been 350. But the rate at which they scored the runs made the job far easier, " he added.
Legendary India batter Sunil Gavaskar felt the second new ball was 'wasted' by India's bowlers. "Pretty ordinary blowing. If you have to bowl a bouncer, you get it around the helmet's badge and not around the waist.".
"I'm very disappointed, I'm sorry. This new ball had been wasted. Akash Deep was all over the place. He wasted the new ball by bowling way outside the off stump. The Indians had also been sloppy in the field," said Gavaskar.
Former Australia cricketer Tom Moody was equally scathing about India and how their playing eleven was selected for the crunch game. "Surprised with India's lack of tactical detail on the field, but it's fair to say that started with their selected playing XI," he said on X.
Read also| Smith Joins Ponting and Bradman in Exclusive Test Milestone at MCG with 42nd Half-Century
