Australian team was toyed by Indian spinners in the second innings. From 61/1 the team went 113 all out with most of batters playing wild sweep when they failed to asses the conditions. The chief destroyer of this batting line-up was Jadeja who picked 7 wickets, 5 of them were bowled wickets.
While making an appearance on SEN podcast, Khawaja gave first hand account of what actually went through on field. His comments were casual and we’ll versed but the furious Australian fans and commentators couldn’t leave what they understood as taking loss as no serious matter.
Khawaja said, “Sometimes that’s just how it goes. We were just out-skilled, we didn’t execute well enough today unfortunately. We executed quite well in the first innings, we just couldn’t do it for the whole game,” Khawaja said.
“There’ll always be outside noise but at the end of the day we’re out here trying to win games of cricket for Australia.
“You have to pick your poison, one way or another. You can get out blocking or you can get out trying to execute shots we’ve been practising. That’s just the way it goes.
“If you’re looking short sighted, it sucks, but we’ve still played a lot of good cricket over a long period of time.”
These comments were shady enough to allow critics to leave their opinion. Adam Collins, another SEN broadcaster, criticised Khawaja for his casual attitude towards the bloodshed that had just taken place.
“That bit about, ‘There’ll be outside noise’. I don’t know if that’s reading the room particularly well from Usman. I acknowledge he is one of the most mature cricketers in the world at the moment and he is entitled to his view and it should be respected, but the outside noise is going to be there from everywhere and to ignore it would be a mistake.
“Even that line about picking one’s poison. What’s the starting point – that they are going to be outdone by Ashwin and Jadeja and they just have to pick the way they are going to get out? I don’t know if that’s the right starting point at this level when you’re the No. 1 side in the world. It feels like there is a mindset issue here in addition to the chasm here on these surfaces.”