After winning the first test match by defeating the visitors (India) by 8 wickets. It was very much expected that the Australia team will be unstoppable now in the upcoming test matches. But team India has turned the tables to level the series by 1-1 with still two more test matches to go in this rivalry. The biggest reason why Australia lost the test match was his absurd captain in every sense Tim Paine. It’s a complete injustice from the Australia team management to give the captaincy to someone like Tim Paine but not an ideal and the most complete Australian captain Steve Smith and his records as a captain has been phenomenal in recent times. As a captain Steve Smith has played 34 tests and scored 3659 runs at an brilliant average of 70.36 which is higher than his test career average of 62.84 and if still Australia is believing that ball-tampering incident was wrong and Steve Smith has put them down its complete unfair to him after he has served his punishment. A talent like Steve Smith should not be let go in the vain as there is no captain with the vision like Steve Smith to keep their legacy at the pinnacle.
In the second test match of Border-Gavaskar Trophy everything went wrong for the hosts from winning the toss to a failed show of openers to the middle order once again. The role of an opening batsman in red-ball cricket is very crucial especially on the Australian pitches but the hosts are in the situation to experiment with the players only for the opening slot where David Warner is unavailable hope he will join the team before the third test to bring the balance in the squad. After getting out cheaply in the first innings at the score of 195 runs hosts were unable to restrict the visitors (India) at the low score before giving them the lead of 131 runs in the first innings still when they have bowling line-up of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazelwood (complete average performance from the pacers). In the second innings Australia lost its 6 wickets under a score of 99 runs before giving the target of just 70 runs to level the series when team India was playing without the regular players. Having said that, let us take a look at the three reasons why Australia lost the second test match.
AUSTRALIAN OPENERS HAVE FAILED ONE MORE TIME:
The role of an opening batsman not only sets the momentum for the other players to score runs but also clears the picture which team will lead the game in the next five days of a test match. In both the test matches Australian opening batsmen were absurd with their performances. With openers unable to score the pressure came down to Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne to rescue the team from the crisis situation every time. This was completely unacceptable from the Australian openers to get out with scoring against the in experience bowling line-up of team India on two occasions.
Without David Warner this opening pair has been exposed off against the team India in an experienced bowling line-up and hope David Warner will return before the third test to solve the problem of an opening batsman in the current Australian line-up. 2 test matches and 4 innings it’s next to impossible to believe that Australia opening batsman unable to put 100 runs stand partnership. There has to be no clarification after such performance from the opening batsman where opposition has scored runs against the good bowling line-up.
REPLACE THE CAPTAIN:
It was very much believed after Australia had got out at the score 195 runs in the first innings how can a captain left his team in trouble. 13 and 1 runs in the both innings of a test match defines how absurd and weak this captain is who is unable to perform when other players have failed to score. It’s a complete responsibility of a captain to take out his team from the crisis situation to put them back into the driver seat.
Australia's team is still in contention to replace Steve Smith as a captain of Australia before it’s too late. From winning the toss to not using the strike bowlers rightly to stop the runs Tim Paine has been the worst captain for Australia with his strategies. It’s unbelievable that Australia has lost the test match within the four days after winning the toss.
NO INTENT FROM AUSTRALIAN BATSMAN TO SCORE RUNS:
It was the complete surrender from the Australian line-up against the visitors (India) in both innings. There has to be criticism for this performance of Australia. Steve Smith is the only hope for this team under any circumstances but he is unable to score this team is all over. It’s the time for the other players to score runs and to cement their place in the team when a player like Steve Smith was out without scoring any runs. But it’s very much the same as the first test match. The batsman's poor show with the bat continued in both innings.
The series is level now by 1-1 it will be interesting now to see who will win this rivalry by the end of the series. Still Australia is a more complete team from the opposition in every department and they will like to bounce back in his style in the next test match.
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