Delhi Test: Gautam Gambhir criticizes Usman Khawaja after getting dismissed off reverse sweep

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Former India opener Gautam Gambhir criticized Usman Khawaja for his mode of dismissal on day one of the second Test on Friday, saying that the shot was unnecessary. Khawaja got out trying to play a reverse sweep off Ravindra Jadeja.

New Delhi,UPDATED: Feb 17, 2023 23:35 IST

Khawaja scored 81 runs off 125 deliveries before getting dismissed (Courtesy: AP)

By India Today Web Desk: Former cricketer Gautam Gambhir has criticized Usman Khawaja for the way he got out trying to play a reverse sweep on Day one of the second Test in Delhi on Friday.

Khawaja seemed to have put his troubles from the first Test in Nagpur behind him as he played a sublime innings of 81 from 125 deliveries to give the visitors a good foundation for a big score.

However, the opener perished trying to play a reverse sweep off the bowling of Ravindra Jadeja and the Australian innings eventually folded for 263 runs.

Gambhir was asked about Khawaja’s dismissal during an interaction on Star Sports. The former cricketer, as quoted by Sportskeeda, said that he isn’t a big fan of the reverse sweep and there was no need for Khawaja to play that shot.

“I am not a very big fan of the reverse sweep. especially in Test cricket. It is different in ODI and T20 cricket. There was no need for that shot. You might have scored a lot of runs with that shot for sure but you have to look at the stage of the game at times.”

“There wouldn’t have been anything wrong if you had played this shot when you had not lost too many wickets or if you were playing with a tailender. You had lost four wickets, and a good partnership was getting formed,” said Gambhir.

Gambhir further went on to say that Khawaja should have rotated his strike instead of playing the shot and said Australia would have been in a better spot if the opener had converted his 81 into a bigger score.

“You play the reverse sweep when you are absolutely stuck at one end, when you know that runs are not coming at all. You could have rotated easily, there was a fielder at long-on, there was a deep square leg, take a single and go to the other end.”

“This is going to be the only difference between the two teams. Rohit Sharma scored a century when he got set. If Usman Khawaja had converted this eighty to 150 or 160, your team could have posted a big score. Usman Khawaja will be disappointed as well because it is not necessary that he will get such a start in the upcoming innings.”

Published On:

Feb 17, 2023



Source: www.indiatoday.in

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