'Played like a batsman from Bangladesh': Ex-Pakistani cricketer controversially criticises Usman Khawaja's batting approach
“Usman Khawaja played like a batsman from Bangladesh. His approach was very timid, and I feel it was a selfish innings. You score 180 runs after playing 422 deliveries in this pitch. Only Green looked like a batter from Australia,” Ali remarked in a video posted on YouTube.
Former Pakistani cricketer Basit Ali sparked outrage by inexplicably claiming that Australian opener Usman Khawaja, who scored 180 runs to help the visitors to a total of 480 in the first innings, had a "timid approach" and performed "like a batter from Bangladesh." Khawaja hit 180 runs.
"Usman Khawaja played like a batsman from Bangladesh. His approach was very timid, and I feel it was a selfish innings. You score 180 runs after playing 422 deliveries in this pitch. Only Green looked like a batter from Australia," Ali remarked in a video posted on YouTube.
Ali, slamming Australia's approach with the bat in the first innings of the Ahmedabad Test, went on to add: "The way Australia played it felt like a team from 1970-80. They won the toss and scored 255 on Day 1 and 225 on Day 2. It felt like Australia are leading 2-1 in the series but it is India, who are leading 2-1.
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"Just because they have reached the finals of World Test Championship, so they have maintained a defensive approach," he said.
Ali also took a swipe at Australia's stand-in skipper Steve Smith and coach Andrew McDonald. The former Pakistan star feels it's all a ploy from the Australian management to remove Pat Cummins as the team's full-time Test skipper.
"The mindset with which Steve Smith and their coach Andrew McDonald employed was extremely sad. Their coach was an ordinary player and his thinking too is very ordinary. I also want to make one more point that this is a plot to remove Pat Cummins from the captaincy and reinstate Smith as their new leader. Smith led Australia to a win in the third Test and they now want to play a draw, so Smith can once again be at the helm with his selected group of players," Ali asserted.
Khawaja's 180 is the third-highest score by an Australian hitter in India. He batted for 611 minutes, making it the longest Test innings by an Australian in India. He also broke Graham Yallop's previous record of 520 minutes, set when he scored 167 at Eden Gardens in 1979.
The Indian side won the first two Tests in three days to establish a 2-0 lead in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2023.
But the Australians came roaring back in Indore, beating the hosts by nine wickets.
