‘What’s the point of playing them if you don’t trust them?’: Shastri, Gavaskar lambast Rohit Sharma, Indian bowlers

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar and former India head coach Ravi Shastri didn’t mince words when they called out India’s poor performance in the first session on Day 2 of the Boxing Day Test against Australia in Melbourne. Gavaskar said India fast bowler Akash Deep, who started proceedings along with Mohammed Siraj on Friday, “wasted the (second) new ball”. A resurgent Steve Smith smashed his second century in as many Tests as Australia built a daunting total. Captain Pat Cummins also played his part with a quickfire 49 as Australia reached 454/7 at lunch on Day 2.

In the morning session, the hosts scored 143 runs in 27 overs for the loss of just one wicket. Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah looked tired and worn out while captain Rohit Sharma lacked ideas as Steve Smith and Cummins took the game away from India.

Gavaskar slammed Akash Deep to bowl loose deliveries to Cummins and give away easy boundaries. “Quite plain blowing. If you’re going to bowl a bouncer, you get it around the helmet badge and not around the waist. I’m very disappointed, I’m sorry. This new ball has been wasted. Aakash Deep has been all over the .the place He has wasted the new ball by bowling well outside the off stump.The Indians have also been sloppy in the field.

Shastri slams Rohit Sharma’s captaincy

Ravi Shastri criticized Rohit Sharma’s captaincy and asked why he picked two spinners when they would not be used properly.

“India ran out of ideas. Bowling was pretty ordinary. Spin was not used as much as it should have been. It took 40 overs for Sundar to bowl. Why did you play two spinners? What was the need if you don’t trust them ?” he asked in the post-Lunch show on Star Sports.

Smith again came on 68, with Cummins next to him on eight.

The veteran batsman showed his intent early with a four off Jasprit Bumrah while Cummins also batted with freedom, not afraid to play his shots.

They took 15 off an Akash Deep over to bring up their 50-run partnership before Smith hooked Bumrah for six to rub salt in the wounds.

India’s body language showed their frustration as the Test slipped away on a benign pitch, offering them little.

Smith reached his 34th Test century with a boundary off Nitish Kumar Reddy, who came on the back of a return to form in the last Test in Brisbane, where he made 101.

It was a patient innings from the 35-year-old and moved him alongside four other players on the list of century-makers, including Sunil Gavaskar and Brian Lara.

Only six players have scored more, led by Sachin Tendulkar’s 51.