NEWS
Follow UsJasprit Bumrah picked up a five-wicket haul in the first Test in Perth, which propelled India to a famous 295-run victory. Overall, he finished with figures of 8/92, leading from the front to put India 1-0 up in the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Following his heroic effort, many have questioned the legality of Bumrah's action. Former Australia captain Greg Chappell has quashed all those comments, saying that it is absolutely clean.
“Please stop this nonsense of questioning Bumrah’s action. It is unique, but it is unequivocally clean. It demeans a champion performer and the game to even bring it up,” Chappell wrote in a column in Sydney Morning Herald.
Chappell also expressed concerns over Australia's batting, especially having lost half their side in both innings with less than 80 on the board. “The [Australian] top order is a major concern. To avoid forced changes, they must deliver in Adelaide," he wrote.
“At this stage, I don’t expect the Australian selectors to panic. However, if the same team takes the field in Adelaide and falters under the lights … watch out!”, he added.
The Aussie bowlers did well to bowl India out for just 150 in the first innings. But in the second innings, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul stood firm, putting on over 200 for the first wicket, to effectively bat the hosts out of the contest. Chappell felt the bowlers seemed worn out.
“As the match progressed, the Australian attack began to look weary, as though they’d already endured back-to-back Tests. This was troubling, given that four Tests remain in the series," Chappell, who played 87 Tests and 74 One-Day Internationals (ODI) between 1970 to 1983, said.
The second Test in Adelaide will be a day-night affair, which will get underway from December 6 onwards.
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