Shastri, Vaughan Question Australia's Team Unity After Pacer's 'Unwarranted Comments'

Ravi Shastri and Michael Vaughan questioned Australia’s team unity after Josh Hazlewood’s comments appeared to shift the blame on their batting unit following their poor display on day three of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy Perth Test.

Australia endured a tough day three, with India declaring their second innings for 487-6. After Yashasvi Jaiswal (161) and KL Rahul (77) recorded the highest opening stand for an Indian pair 201 in Australia, Virat Kohli inflicted further damage by bringing up his record 30th century in the format. India set a target of 534 for the hosts, their highest ever against their arch-rivals.

By the end of the third day, Australia were reduced to 12-3 in their chase. After the day's play, when Hazlewood was asked about Australia's approach from that position, he deflected the question to their batters.

Hazlewood: I'm looking mostly to the next Test

"You probably have to ask one of the batters that question probably, I’m sort of relaxing and trying to get a bit of treatment and I’m looking mostly to next Test," Hazlewood said.

Recently retired David Warner called Hazlewood’s comments as unwarranted. "I think as a senior player you have a duty of care when you’re representing the team to have something the batters want to get across, all the batters are thinking about going out and batting," Warner said.

"There’s not a lot of runs in that changeroom at the moment, but to have the support from a senior bowler, those comments probably weren’t warranted."

Vaughan raised doubts over a potential divide in the hosts' dressing room after Hazlewood's comments, saying he has "never seen that from an Australian".

"Publicly, I’ve never heard an Australian come out and divide the camp into batters and bowlers. There’s 11 batters, that will never change, every player has to bat. There’s two days to go in the Test match, it’s a long shot for Australia to get anything out of this game," Vaughan said.

He added: "But to publicly see a player say basically I’m thinking about the next game before this game is finished, I’ve been in many teams and I get it. You do get the batters and you do get the bowlers... but you can see there’s a bit of grumpiness there, but to publicly come out and say that, I have never seen that from an Australian.

"Any player around the globe, but particularly an Australian... I always look at the small details in every team... the togetherness and the lack of spirit in the outfield, you don’t say that often about Australia."

Shastri believes India have the mental edge

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri also echoed Vaughan’s thoughts, claiming the visitors have the upper hand mentally: "What the Indian dressing room are thinking when they hear something like that, they know there are some cracks on the pitch but there are some mental cracks as well."

"Having come to Australia for 30 or 40 years, this is the first time an Indian team is feeling, ‘you know what, we are better than the opposition in their own backyard. Quietly they will be thinking ‘we will have to lose it here’," Shastri opined.

However, Mark Nicholas, current MCC chair, underplayed Hazlewood's comments and urged critics not to blow them out of proportion.

"You've got to toughen up a bit, you've got your own responsibilities. You also can't take every comment literally," Nicholas said on commentary during the match.

India wrapped the match by 295 runs as Australia were bowled out for 238 in pursuit of a target of 534 in the fourth innings. Jasprit Bumrah (5-30 and 3-42) was adjudged the Player of the Match.

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