AUS v IND 2018-19: Baffled not just surprised by Kohli's captaincy in Perth, says Sunil Gavaskar

Arriving into the day with Australia 277/6, India allowed the game to drift by not bringing on Jasprit Bumrah straightaway.

Bumrah came on and immediately dismissed both Paine and Cummins | Getty

Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar expressed disappointment over Indian captain Virat Kohli's tactics employed in the first innings of the ongoing second Test against Australia at Perth.

Gavaskar questioned Virat's decision to not throw the ball to Jasprit Bumrah at the start of play on Day 2, when India was in desperate need to get rest of the breakthroughs arriving with Australia already 277/6 on a tough surface and he had been the team's best fast bowler.

India started off with Ishant Sharma and Mohammad Shami from either end against Tim Paine and Pat Cummins, with Umesh Yadav replacing the latter from the other end. The batting duo piled on the agony before Bumrah finally returned to the crease and dismissed both.

"Astonished, baffled not just surprised. Baffled because the ball he bowled to Paine with the second new ball towards the end of yesterday's play - pitching on a length, beating Paine and going over wicketkeeper Pant's head when somebody is bowling that way... Why would you not give him the ball straight away at the start of the day's play?," Gavaskar told Sony Six, in the lunch interval as Australia got all out for 326 and India lost their first wicket in the form of Murali Vijay.

"He's been your best bowler on this surface. Yes, there might have been others who would have got more wickets to show but you know who's the man more likely to get you the wicket of Tim Paine in the morning."

The 69-year-old also questioned the basic length that India's fast bowlers operated with, rueing the short pitch deliveries despite there being enough lateral movement available from the surface.

"It was too short. If you've got 45 percent half-way down, the batsman is going to know he can leave it. Even if its bowled in the line, it's going to miss the stumps on this Perth wicket. The fact is that the second new ball wasn't used as well as it should have been," he added.

(Inputs from India Today)

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 15 Dec, 2018

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