Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar on Friday (January 15) raised questions over Tim Paine’s captaincy, saying the Australian skipper has been ‘found wanting’ in the ongoing Test series against India.
Gavaskar’s remark came just a few days after he slammed Paine for sledging R Ashwin during the third Test in Sydney.
Terming his behaviour as "unbefitting" of a leader, Gavaskar had said Paine’s days as Australian Test captain are numbered.
The former India opener has now doubled down on those comments with a second attack.
“I’ve had doubts about his captaincy for some time,” Gavaskar told Channel 7.
“I think in the second Test match, having dismissed India for 36, you win the toss and the grass was 3mm more than in Adelaide and Australia opts to bat first when they should’ve actually fielded and put India in.
“Because India was without Virat Kohli as well, they would’ve been mentally gone. But instead Australia batted, were dismissed for under 200 (and then lost the game).
“And then in Sydney on the last day, only two wickets falling after Ajinkya Rahane got out in the second over of the final day.
“Bowling changes, field placings, everything is such – I’m talking tactically he’s been found wanting.”
Gavaskar also cited the example of Headingly Test of 2019 Ashes to put forward his point regarding Paine’s tactical failures.
“And don’t forget what happened a year ago in the Ashes when Ben Stokes and Jack Leach added 80 or 90 runs to win a game,” he remarked. “That also shows captaincy-wise, tactically wise he’s not probably the best man to lead Australia.”
After India secured a draw in Sydney Test by batting out 131 overs in the second innings earlier this week, Gavaskar questioned Paine’s tactical nous despite having a very good bowling attack in his arsenal.
“As a captain, (Paine’s) got no tactical nous at all,” Gavaskar told India Today.
“I mean when you’re having somebody like a Mitchell Starc or a Pat Cummins, with the kind of pace and bounce that they generate, not to have a fielder in the leg gully to Indians who are not very tall, it just tells you that you have no idea about captaincy.
“Because when you fend the ball off around or under your shoulders, the odd ball is going to go up in the air. It happened in the first Test, now again in this Test there were a couple of opportunities, but he didn’t have anybody there.
“Even towards the end when it was clearly obvious that India was looking to save the game and not go and win it, he had a cover, when that man could have been brought in.
“Because even if a boundary had been hit, it wasn’t going to affect the Australians. He could’ve had two men around the corner … and there were a couple of chances that could have been taken if an extra man had been there.
“So as a captain, well, he’s hopeless and he’s probably captaining for the last time in this series from a tactical point of view.”
Tim Paine had retorted to Gavaskar’s earlier criticism by saying: “I’m not going into it, getting into a back and forth with Sunny Gavaskar. “I don’t think I’m going to win that.
“Look, he’s entitled to his opinion. It doesn’t affect us one iota. [If] anything it’s adding to the Test match, which is great. So Sunny can keep saying what he wants to say but at the end of the day it’s got absolutely nothing to do with him.”
