Former Australian cricketer-turned-commentator Michael Hussey is hoping for a better show from the under-fire Indian cricket team against Australia in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne after being “embarrassed” by their horrifying show in the Day-Night Test in Adelaide.
India had a forgettable outing in the pink-ball Test, as they ended up facing a humiliating 8-wicket defeat in the opening Test of the four-Test series after they were bundled out for their worst ever Test total of 36 in the second innings of the game at Adelaide Oval.
Well now, Australia and India head into the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground starting December 26, Hussey hopes to see a strong response from the tourists after having embarrassed themselves in the Adelaide Test since the MCG pitch will suit them a little bit more.
The Aussie further said there will be some psychological blows and the upcoming Tests will test the mental strength of the Indian batsmen in Australia but hopes Team India will stand up and put up a better performance in the second Test to come back in the Test series.
Hussey told ESPNCricinfo: “It’s really going to test the mental strength of the Indian batsmen in my opinion. I think the Melbourne pitch will suit them a little bit more so they can take some confidence from that.
I hope to see a response because they’ll be embarrassed by that – getting bowled out for 36. I was in a team when we were bowled out for 47 and it was embarrassing. You’d want to put up a better performance next up. But I think there will be some psychological blows there.”
Meanwhile, India will not have their premier batsman and skipper Virat Kohli and premier fast bowler Mohammad Shami for the remaining games of the Test series and Hussey said “it’s a bit of a hammer blow” to the tourists, saying it would hit the confidence of the third-ranked Test team.
He added, “It’s a bit of a hammer blow. The last time, India were here, they’d won the first Test match and it just really game them a lot of belief and confidence that they could win here in Australia. Suddenly they go 0-1 down, their captain heads home.
Mohammad Shami being hit on the arm – now we’re not sure how bad that is – he’s one of the best bowlers in the Indian camp. I think the confidence would have really taken a hit and there’ll be a few doubts in mind.”
Hussey said India can still bounce back in the Test series, suggesting their head coach Ravi Shastri and stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane to help the team come out of the negativity following the big defeat and take the team forward in the ongoing Test series.
He signed off by saying, “It’s very important for the likes of Shastri and Rahane, who is a now the captain, to get around the group and kick in a positive frame of mind. They can bounce back. These guys are all quality players, they have done the business in the past but a lot of it is played between the ears. If they can, I still believe there’s a chance for India in the series.”
(With Hindustan Times Inputs)
