Aus punched itself even before 1st ball of series: Chappell

SYDNEY: Australia great Greg Chappell slammed the team’s forgettable performances in the first two Tests against India, saying that the visitor “punched themselves (itself) in the mouth long before the first ball was even bowled”.

Australia has already conceded the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after being hammered in the first two Tests of the four-match series, with both games ending inside three days. “It was Mike Tyson who said in the lead-up to a fight with Evander Holyfield: ‘Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.’ My concern after watching the first two Tests is that the Australian team punched themselves in the mouth long before the first ball was even bowled,” Chappell wrote in ‘Sydney Morning Herald’.

He also questioned Australia’s planning for the ongoing tour of India. “It is one thing to plan, but to base that plan on a flawed premise is an exercise in futility,” added Chappell.

Beaten by an innings and 132 runs in Nagpur, Australia opted to go in with only one pacer in Delhi – skipper Pat Cummins. The touring team dropped Scott Boland and handed a debut to left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann.

“Australia needed to play to its strengths to have a chance of winning this series. Spin bowling is not our strength. Picking spinners for the sake of it is not the way to success in India. We had to pick our best bowlers and trust them to do the job and back that with sensible batting, based on sound principles.” Chappell also gave his views on the Australia batters’ over-reliance on the sweep shots, which led to their downfall in the second innings of the Delhi Test.

“Adding it (sweep shot) to your repertoire in spinning conditions can be sensible, but not if it is the only option. There are other shots that are less risky and likely to be more profitable but, because the sweep for most batsmen has to be pre-meditated, the other options invariably fall by the wayside,” said Chappell.