Following last week’s two-day conclusion of the fourth Ashes Test at the MCG, former India head coach Greg Chappell advised today’s batters to demonstrate greater guts and determination to play extended innings in difficult conditions. It was the second Test match of a series that ended in two days.
Despite the difficult batting circumstances, Chappell emphasised the lack of effort shown by both teams’ batters. According to the former Australian cricket player, the batters have let down not only the supporters but also their predecessors who gave this legendary rivalry their all.
“Two Tests in the series have not advanced past day three, not because of exceptional skill but rather because of a conspicuous lack of ambition. As if playing their “natural game” excused submission, batters swung indiscriminately, sacrificing technique for bravado,” according to a comment from Chappell that India Today cited.
“They let down predecessors who bled for this rivalry; they shortchanged fans who braved the holiday heat; they betrayed their own generation by forsaking cricket’s core tenets – playing each ball on merit, scrapping for every run, enduring bruises for the greater good,” he said.
Chappell voiced his scepticism over the red-ball format’s viability.
He asserted that regardless of the circumstances of a game, batsmen ought to be able to bat for at least 100 overs.
“I understand that power is more valuable in today’s market than the capacity to withstand pressure, and that white-ball cricket has altered the game, but if the modern player truly values Test cricket, as they claim, they must demonstrate this by being able to bat as a team for at least 100 overs under any circumstances. The format is doomed if they are unable or unwilling to achieve it,” he stated.
Down Under, England’s losing streak came to an end at last. The Boxing Day Test gave the Three Lions a consolation victory after they had lost the previous three Tests. The Sydney Cricket Ground will host the season finale beginning on Sunday, January 4.
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