Former India coach Ravi Shastri and Michael Vaughan has slammed Australian opener Usman Khawaja for not taking the strike in the second Innings as debutant Nathan McSweeney survived only four balls against Jasprit Bumrah in the Perth Test.
“I’d have loved to have seen the senior pro Usman Khawaja say to the youngster, ‘I’m taking that first over’,” Michael Vaughan said on Michael Vaughan.
“Twenty-four minutes, it was to just get through the day’s play.
“Just little details like that, I’d love to have seen the senior player just say to the youngster I’ll take the first over for us.”
Khawaja’s former opening partner David Warner defended the senior pro. He said: “I’m pretty sure Uzzy would have actually asked him again when he was walking out, ‘Do you want me to take it?’ and I think the young guy would have said, ‘Yeah I’ll take it, I want it’.”
However, Ravi Shastri was not on the same page with Warner and minced no words against Khawaja.
Nathan McSweeney has received a maiden Test call for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. (Cricket Australia)
“I think the choice should not go to the young man – that’s the job of the team manager and the captain,” Shastri said.
“Usman should have been told, ‘You are taking strike’.
“If you go and ask that young kid, if he says, ‘I don’t want to take strike’, word would go around he’s soft.
“Don’t give him that opportunity. Go and tell the senior pro, ‘Go and take guard.’”
Where is the next opener?
Former Australia pacer Brett Lee chipped in saying the decision to go with Nathan McSweeney over an established opener has send a wrong message.
“(McSweeney’s) a fantastic player, he’s done very well in Shield cricket but never actually had that opportunity to bat in that top position,” he said.
“Some will say if he bats three or four, is there a difference? Well it is a difference. It is a different role.
“He’s up against arguably the world’s greatest bowler in Jasprit Bumrah firstly on a green top on day one and then secondly he gets one to shoot through so he hasn’t had the rub of the green yet.
“The concern is, what message does that send to the other opening batsmen around Australia?
“We have heard of other players, (Cameron) Bancroft has done very well the last couple of years, Marcus Harris was thrown in the mix again that he was close, scoring runs. Sam Konstas who bats at the top of the order will have that opportunity as well. It’s concerning.”
