Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh gave a hard-hitting statement as he claimed the current Australian team can no longer compete with Team India.
Pat Cummins’ side succumbed to a six-wicket defeat on Sunday, February 16 as they are now down 0-2 in the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy 2023, which India managed to retain successfully.
While the visitors dominated India on Day 2, as Nathan Lyon picked up a five-wicket haul, and restricted Rohit Sharma’s men to 262 in reply to Australia’s 263-run total in their first innings.
While Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne put the visitors in the driving seat at stumps on Day 2, the third day turned out to be a nightmare for the Aussies.
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Ravindra Jadeja picked up a seven-wicket haul, as he rattled the Australia batting order who looked toothless.
Harbhajan, speaking to India Today revealed that Australian media and the players had already lost the first Test before the fixture even began.
“I think before this series as well, the Australians showed what mindset they were in. They were so worried about the pitches and Ashwin. Before the game started in Nagpur, they had lost it. The first match did not do any good to their confidence. Even the second game finished in two-and-a-half days. They should look at themselves in the mirror and ask if they have done enough,” said the legendary spinner.
While Harbhajan did add that both Nagpur and Delhi pitches have been tricky, even on a good surface, he fancied India to prevail over Australia.
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“In the second Test match, the ball wasn’t spinning that much but it was just keeping low. This is where you have to come up with a plan to bat when it doesn’t bounce much. I don’t think this Australian team has it in them to compete with Team India. Even on a good track, I think India will beat them handsomely,” added the 42-year-old.
With India and Australia the two most likely teams to reach the final of World Test Championship (WTC), which will take place at the Oval in June, the recent dominance bodes well for Rohit’s men, however, a lot can change in the upcoming months.
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