"Must Have Been Crook Or Injured...": Australia Great's Strong Quotes On Batter's Exclusion Against India

16.02.2023 - 15:56 sports.ndtv.com

Legendary Australian cricketer Allan Border is still at pains to understand why middle-order batter Travis Head was excluded from the side that suffered an innings and 132-run defeat against India in the opening Test at Nagpur.

Head has been in sublime form since the 2021/22 Ashes series, where he was adjudged Player of the Series after Australia won the five-Test series 4-0.

He was the joint second-highest run-getter during the three-Test series at home against South Africa recently, which Australia won 2-0.

But despite achieving several milestones in the past one year, Matt Renshaw got the selectors' nod ahead of Head for the opening Border-Gavaskar Test.

cricket Australia Cricket Team 2023 on Cameron Green Mitchell Starc Travis Head Matt Renshaw Australia South Africa India Sri Lanka Pakistan New Delhi

Legendary cricketer Ricky Ponting has predicted some surprise inclusions in the Australian squad for the World Test Championship (WTC) final and the Ashes in England from the one that is currently touring India. Australia secured a place in the WTC final at The Oval in June after collecting the required percentage points following their nine-wicket win against India in the third Border-Gavaskar Test at Indore recently.

"Ridiculous. If They Have Any Sense...": Sunil Gavaskar's Scathing Attack On Australia Selectors

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has slammed the Australian selectors for their decision making while picking the team for the first two Tests against India in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. While the Australian team has been targetted by former players and experts, following the defeats in the first two Tests, Gavaskar feels that the selectors should take the blame for picking up injured players in the squad. Australia trail India 1-2 in the four-match series, having won the third Test in Indore by 9 wickets.

"Over-Eagerness To Try...": Ravi Shastri's Scathing Attack On India After Defeat To Australia

Eyeing a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, India were humbled by Australia in the third Test on Friday in Indore. Chasing a modest target of 76, Australia crossed the finishing line with ease, despite losing a wicket on the second ball of play on Day 3. Travis Head scored a quickfire 49, while Marnus Labuschagne hit the winning boundary to remain unbeaten on 28. Former India head coach Ravi Shastri, who is on commentary duty for the ongoing series, slammed the team after the defeat, saying that the hosts "took things for granted", allowing the game to slip away from their grasp.

Ind vs Aus, 3rd Test: Australia Defeat India By 9 Wickets, Qualify For WTC Final

There was no twist in the tale as Australia turned the tables on India with an emphatic nine-wicket win in the third Test on a track that offered wicked turn and variable bounce, confirming their place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, in Indore Friday. Travis Head (49 not out) and Marnus Labuschagne (28 not out) survived some anxious moments before getting Australia home in 18.5 overs as the match got over in little over two days. Wins in India come rare for the visiting teams and it was no different for Australia, who recorded their first victory on Indian soil in six years.

Can India Win Against Australia In Indore Test? Umesh Yadav Has A Straight Answer

Australia need only 76 runs to complete a memorable Test win in India but the wicked nature of the pitch has kept the home team pacer Umesh Yadav hopeful going into day three. Fourteen wickets fell on the opening day while 16 batters got out on Thursday. The pitch is offering plenty of turn and uneven bounce has also made the batters' job harder. Nathan Lyon ran through the Indian batting on day two to end with an eight-wicket haul and put his team within touching distance of a rare win in India. Umesh acknowledged that his team has not put enough runs on the board but it still has an outside chance.

India vs Australia: Ravichandran Ashwin Surpasses Kapil Dev For Major Milestone

Ravichandran Ashwin returned with a three-wicket haul on Thursday to help India skittle out Australia for 197 in the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar. Ashwin's performance, in which he took the wickets of Peter Handscomb, Alex Carey and Nathan Lyon, helped the hosts limit the visitors' lead. The three wickets also meant that Ashwin now has 689 international wickets, surpassing Kapil Dev (687), to be the third-highest wicket-taker for India across formats. Anil Kumble (953) and Harbhajan Singh (707) hold the top two places.