ADELAIDE, Australia, Dec 8, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Coach Justin Langer Saturday
rebuffed criticism from Sachin Tendulkar that Australia’s batting was too
defensive, and complained that if his team celebrated like Virat Kohli they
would be seen as “the worst blokes in the world”.
Australia ended day two of the opening Test against India in Adelaide on
Friday 191-7, with only Travis Head offering some serious resistence.
Superstar Tendulkar tweeted that “the defensive mindset by the Australian
batsmen at home is something I’ve not seen before in my experience”.
Langer told his players not to let the sledge get under their skin, and
said it was a different era when Tendulkar played against Australia, who then
boosted a far more experienced line-up.
“The teams that Sachin would have played against started with Allan Border
and David Boon, and Steve Waugh and Mark Waugh, and Ricky Ponting,” he told
Fox Sports.
“Guys that had great Test match experience and they knew their game, were
comfortable in their own skin and they knew what to expect.
“Whereas we’ve got a team at the moment who are very inexperienced in Test
match cricket, particularly our batting side.”
He added that his team was “fighting their backsides off”.
“We have to be patient with them. You can’t give these guys 30 or 50
matches of Test match experience. They have to earn it.”
In the wake of a scathing review into the ball-tampering this year, which
slammed the team for its win-at-all-costs culture, Australia is also
conscious that it needs to tone its infamous abrasive attitude.
Langer conceded their behaviour was under scrutiny in Adelaide, where
combative and vocal Indian skipper Virat Kohli has enthusiastically
celebrated Australian wickets.
He said there was a fine line between celebration and going over the top
and if his team acted like Kohli in the current environment “we’d be the
worst blokes in the world”.
“It’s a fine line, isn’t it? That’s the truth of it. But I love seeing the
passion,” said Langer.