The first day of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy's opening Test in Perth exposed India's batting vulnerabilities once again. Australia's formidable bowling attack dismantled the Indian batting lineup, leaving them with a meager total of 150 runs. However, the Indian bowlers fought back strongly, reducing Australia to a precarious 67/7.
Cheteshwar Pujara warns India against aggressive approach
Meanwhile, India's out-of-favour batter Cheteshwar Pujara, who was snubbed from India's squad for the Australia tour and in currently commentating in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, while addressing India's aggressive batting approach gave his two cents. He clearly said that the aggressive approach doesn't work all the time.
Cheteshwar Pujara comes from an old school batting style which always proved to be a constant thorn for Australian bowlers, never allowing them to dominate the flow of the game. His ability to stay at the crease for long periods of time sapped the energy of the pacers, making it difficult for them to maintain pressure. His patient and defensive style of batting often frustrated the bowlers, as it wore them down and broke their rhythm.
Pujara has been a key figure for India in their recent Test series wins, playing match-winning innings in both the 2018-19 and 2020-21 series. However, his form eventually faltered, and he failed to make an impact in subsequent matches, leading to his exclusion from the team.
Under the coaching of Gautam Gambhir, India has adopted a more aggressive approach to red-ball cricket. The batters now play with a greater focus on taking risks and playing their shots, without the same concern for being dismissed. While this approach has brought success in certain instances, it has also led to failures, as some players are not spending enough time at the crease and getting out too early.
Meanwhile, Jatin Sapru was praising a sub-continent team for their aggressive approach in Test cricket. However, Cheteshwar Pujara, who was part of the commentary panel, offered a blunt response, suggesting that such an approach doesn't always guarantee success.
“Old school cricket is also important as you can’t play aggressively every time. You have to play defensively at times. Aggression and defence are important, and you need to bat according to the situation. Test cricket is about getting adjusted to the needs of a game. You can’t go in with one style of play,” Cheteshwar Pujara said on Star Sports.
Talking about the match, India dominated the first day of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy's opening Test in Perth, restricting Australia to a precarious 67/7 at stumps. Australia, who are responding to India's first innings total of 150, trail by 83 runs with just three wickets remaining.
Alex Carey (19*) and Mitchell Starc (6*) were the unbeaten Australian batters at the end of the day's play. India's stand-in captain, Jasprit Bumrah, led the bowling attack with four wickets. Mohammed Siraj and debutant Harshit Rana contributed two and one wicket, respectively.
As far as India's batting is concerned, after winning the toss and electing to bat, Jasprit Bumrah's men were bowled out for a modest total of 150 runs. Debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy was India's top scorer with a well-played 41. Rishabh Pant also contributed a quickfire 37 off 78 balls. However, apart from a 48-run partnership with Nitish for the seventh wicket, Pant lacked significant support from his batting partners. Josh Hazlewood was the standout bowler for Australia, claiming 4 wickets for 29 runs.
