Australia, known for its cricketing dominance, recently secured its first victory in the ongoing World Cup by defeating Sri Lanka. However, former cricketer Aakash Chopra has an interesting perspective on this win. In his analysis, he suggests that Australia, despite their triumph, didn’t quite resemble their usual formidable selves during the match.
The match in question unfolded in Lucknow on Monday, October 16. Sri Lanka began their innings strongly, reaching 125 for no loss. This remarkable opening partnership, featuring Kusal Perera and Pathum Nissanka, had fans and experts alike marvelling at their performance.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra reviewed the game and made some noteworthy observations. He expressed that Australia’s performance seemed atypical during the early stages of the match. Chopra’s analysis, delivered at the 1:35 mark of the video, raised some intriguing questions:
Chopra stated, “It doesn’t seem like Australia have come. On a sad and disappointing note, even after they won, it felt like whether they were Australia, do they play like this, have they become such an ordinary team because when Sri Lanka came to bat, it didn’t seem like a wicket would fall.”
Chopra pointed out that there was an air of desperation about the five-time World Cup champions. This desperation was evident from the very first over of the game.
Australia’s urgency was reflected in their decision to take a DRS (Decision Review System) on the first ball itself. The review was related to an LBW (leg before wicket) appeal. However, the replays indicated that the ball had hit the bat first, making the appeal unsuccessful.
Chopra also noted that the same oversaw a warning issued by an Australian player to Kusal Perera regarding early backing up at the non-striker’s end. While the warning was issued, Australia refrained from attempting a run-out.
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“They took a DRS on the first ball itself. You took a DRS for lbw but it seemed like it was ‘bat before the wicket’ because the ball hit straight on the bat. A little desperation was seen, and in the same over, he gave a warning for a run-out at the non-striker’s end. He could have might as well done it.” Aakash concluded.
Aakash Chopra’s analysis highlights the unexpected and somewhat unusual behaviour of the Australian cricket team, considering its storied history of dominance in international cricket. Despite the victory, Chopra’s observations have sparked discussions among cricket enthusiasts about the team’s performance and mindset during the match.
