'Lack of tight defence' against Hazlewood, Cummins cost India, says Bedi
Dec 19, 2020
New Delhi [India], December 19 : Former India skipper Bishan Singh Bedi pointed that the visiting team's 'lack of tight defence' against top-class pacers Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins cost them the game against Australia in the pink-ball Test at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
Taking to Twitter Bedi wrote, "One devastating spell by @patcummins30 & #JoshHazlewood put paid to Indns' pink hopes..the duo wud've tested any modern batting lineup..utter lack o tight defence is realistic malaise o induced entertainment as is being displayed expensively/extensively globally..why complain?!"
On the third day of the first Test, India was bundled out for 36 in the second innings and Australia was given a mediocre target of 90 runs to go 1-0 ahead in the four-match series. Australia chased down the total comfortably inside 21 overs with eight wickets in hand as Joe Burns scored an unbeaten half-century and Matthew Wade smashed 33 runs.
Fiery spells from Hazlewood and Cummins saw the Indian batting collapse as they shared nine wickets between them. For Australia, Hazelwood scalped five wickets while Pat Cummins took four wickets. This score of 36 is India's lowest-ever score in Test cricket. Before this, India's lowest score was 42 in Test cricket against England in 1974.
Earlier, former India opener Virender Sehwag was at his cheeky best as he listed all the scores of the Indian batsmen in the second innings and he put them together as an OTP to forget this performance from Virat Kohli-led side.
"The OTP to forget this is 49204084041," tweeted Sehwag.
The second Test of the four-match series will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground from December 26. Ajinkya Rahane is set to take on the role of stand-in captain in the remaining three games of the series as skipper Virat Kohli will return home after being granted paternity leave by the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
