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India defeated Australia by 6 wickets in the second Test match in New Delhi to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The hosts now lead the series 2-0 after registering convincing wins in the first two matches. Australia, who had failed to give a fight to India in the Nagpur Test, did improve a bit but couldn't prevent a loss. Results of both the matches came within three days.
Former India head coach and all-rounder Ravi Shastri said on Saturday that Australian batters' lack of application has let them down in the ongoing Test series. He added that Australia lacked belief in their own defence and need to go back to basics ahead of the third Test at Indore. The third Test between India and Australia will take place from March 1 in Indore. Australia trail by 2-0 in the series and have disappointed with the bat in both the matches.
With a few days to go for the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, the Indian cricket team faces a few questions. The most prominent being the place of opener KL Rahul in the XI. The star batter has scored only 38 in the first two Tests. Former players, including Venkatesh Prasad, has been questioning why Rahul has been getting a long rope. With a highest score of 23 in his last 10 Test innings, Rahul's place is under scrutiny as India chase a third successive victory that would seal their place in the final of the World Test Championship in June.
India have dominated Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy so far. After easy wins in the first two Tests, which the hosts achieved in less than three days on both occasions, the third Test starts in Indore on March 1. The Australian team has been dealt with several blows owing to injuries while their regular captain Pat Cummins too will not be available for the third Test as he has gone back home due to his mother's illness. Amidst this, former India captain and ex-BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has predicted that Australia will be clean-sweept.
The issue of whether KL Rahul should or should not be included in the Indian cricket team for the the last two Tests against Australia took an ugly turn when former India players Venkatesh Prasad and Aakash Chopra took on each other on social media. After Prasad tweeted on multiple occasions regrading the long rope that Rahul has got, Chopra, meanwhile, did a YouTube videoon KL Rahul. Towards the end of the video, Chopra urged Prasad to stay calm and not peddle 'agendas' if there are any or highlight stats that suit his thoughts.
Travis Head has backed himself to keep being aggressive against the Indian spinners in the third Test beginning in Indore on March 1. Members of the Australian team stayed back in the capital following the loss at the Kotla on day three of the second Test on Sunday. With David Warner back home due to an elbow fracture, Head will open alongside Usman Khawaja in Indore. The southpaw was dropped for the first Test in Nagpur.
The debate over KL Rahul's poor form does not seem to stop soon. The opening batter gave a forgettable performance in the first two Tests against Australia, where he could only manage to score 38 runs. His inclusion in the Playing XI over in-form Shubman Gill has raised a lot of questions about how players are being selected in the Indian team. Former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad, among others, has been quite vocal on Rahul repeatedly getting chance in the Indian paying XI. However, former India opener Gautam Gambhir came in support of Rahul and urged the former cricketers not to criticise the opening batter on the social media.
Glenn Maxwell feels Australia were "outstanding" in the first two Tests against India barring the one self-destructing session in Delhi on day three. Australia lost nine wickets for 52 runs in their second innings to squander the slight advantage they had at the start of day three. "I think they've showed a lot of fight. Bar that one session I thought they were outstanding. It's bloody difficult over there - it's not an easy place to play, it's so foreign for us.