Former Australian test cricketers, including Adam Gilchrist, have been critical of the current crop of batsmen. Photo / Getty
Former Australian test cricketers, including Adam Gilchrist, have been critical of the current crop of batsmen. Photo / Getty
Usman Khawaja tried to bridge the gap between the old and the new when he was given a gig in the Fox Sports commentary box during Australia's T20 win over India last night.
The 31-year-old is recovering from a knee injury sustained in the UAE and is hopeful of being fit for the first Test against India starting on December 6 in Adelaide. During his stint off the field he's had plenty of time to watch his teammates do battle against South Africa and now the Indians — but he hasn't always liked what he's heard from his viewing position on the couch.
Australia's batsmen copped a hammering for their shot selection and decision making firstly during their 2-1 ODI series loss to the Proteas and then in their T20 defeat on the Gold Coast last weekend. Shane Warne teed off, blasting batting coach Graeme Hick and criticising Glenn Maxwell for moving around the crease and Ben McDermott for getting out to a ramp shot.
Glenn Maxwell is one of the most innovative shot-makers in the Australian team. Photo / Getty
Mark Waugh also chimed in while Andrey Symonds took offence to Marcus Stoinis trying a reverse sweep early in his innings during the Aussies' four-run win over India on Wednesday, saying: "That's not on."
Khawaja has heard the barrage of criticism about Australia's approach at the crease and when he stepped in for a guest commentary stint alongside Symonds and Adam Gilchrist, he set the old guard straight.
"It's expected. You train for it, you play for it, you do it all the time," Khawaja said of the new shots batsmen attempt.
"I hear you guys talking a lot about the classic cricket shots. The game's changed, we do play different shots now.
"The bowlers are getting better, they're getting smarter, they're putting in better fields so as batsmen we need to adapt a little bit.
"A lot of the old traditionalists don't like the reverse sweeps, the paddles. But sometimes, they're the little risks you have to take to bring in those classic cricket shots.
"The game has evolved a fair bit from where it was. Sometimes it does look ugly when it doesn't come but when it does everybody loves it and that's the entertainment of T20 cricket."
Khawaja paid respect to former Australian players but he doesn't believe they're in the best position to comment on what's happening in the middle these days.
I know it’s T20 cricket but can we get our batsmen to stand still and keep it simple.
Gilchrist asked if players of his era were misguided in their assessment of Australia's batting woes and Khawaja said the amount of mind games on the field means a lot happens that outside viewers don't see.
"The game has changed, but the basics are still the same. Good shots are still good shots but as the game evolves bowlers set different fields," Khawaja said.
"You sort of know what they're going to do but at the same time there's a bit of bluff going on you don't realise. There's a lot going on behind the scenes.
Usman Khawaja has defended his teammates. Photo / Getty
"The game has evolved. The game has changed a bit in the last 10 or so years. That's no disrespect to guys of your era who were excellent players.
"You can only go on what you play on but the game's evolving and unless you're playing it and you're part of it you do feel like sometimes there is a bit of a disconnect between what the players are trying to achieve and what the outside world, especially traditionalists and former players, are seeing."
Australia survived some nervous moments to hold off a valiant Indian chase at the Gabba with a win that snapped a four-game T20 losing streak.
Storms reduced Wednesday's tour opener to a 17-over-a-side fixture, with India requiring 174 for victory on the Duckworth-Lewis method after the hosts posted 4/158.
And the tourists looked on track with Shikhar Dhawan (76 from 42) piloting the chase, until Adam Zampa (2/22 from four overs) dismissed captain Virat Kohli for just four.
Dhawan, who Zampa had dropped off his own bowling on 65, was caught on the third man boundary in the next over.
Needing more than two a ball in the last five overs, Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant took 25 off Andrew Tye in the 14th over to drag themselves back into the contest.
Pant then departed and left India needing 13 off the final over. But Marcus Stoinis held his nerve, taking two wickets to leave India stranded at 7/169.
Tye finished with figures of 1/47 from this three overs, while Glenn Maxwell (46 from 24) and Chris Lynn (37 from 20) had earlier put Australia on the front foot.
Poised to charge at 3/153 off 16.1 overs, heavy rain swept through Brisbane and delayed the hosts' innings by almost an hour.
Australia was only given five more balls to post a total, in which it managed five runs.
Maxwell hit three consecutive sixes at one stage and hit the spidercam with another skied effort that was deemed a dead ball.
Lynn had hit four sixes, including one that travelled 108m to be caught in the Gabba's top tier, while Aaron Finch (27 from 24) and Stoinis (33 not out from 19) also found the boundary.
"The boys played really well, particularly through the middle overs with the bat they showed a lot of courage to take it on the way we did," captain Finch said.
"I thought some of our bowling was outstanding as well under a lot of pressure."
India was sloppy in its tour opener, dropping two catches and missing a run-out of Maxwell when he was yet to hit his straps.
Dhawan said Zampa's spell had been influential, while Kohli's wicket "had meant the game got a bit more away from us".
Skipper Kohli added: "We thought we were going to win and it turned with the Rishab wicket.
"There were a lot of variables in the game but that's T20 cricket. It's a see-saw game." Kuldeep Yadav was the pick of India's bowlers, taking 2/24 from his four overs. The series moves to Melbourne on Friday before the finale at the SCG on Sunday.
