IND vs AUS 4th Test: Sunil Gavaskar Slams India Batters After Terrible Batting Show On `Poor` Indore Pitch In 3rd Test

India batting legend said that home team batted poorly on Indore pitch and the reason was the weak mindset which resulted in a nine-wicket drubbing in hands of visiting Australians

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar is very unhappy with the way Indian batters performed in the just-concluded Indore Test that finished in just two-and-a-half days on Friday, March 3. India got bowled out for 109 in the first innings after opting to bat first. There was not a big improvement in the 2nd innings also as India put up just 163 runs. Australia, eventually, chased down the target of 76 runs to win the match by 9 wickets and registered their first victory in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar series. Gavaskar said that, in the second innings, Indian batters batted as if they had already decided that it was very difficult to bat on this track.

"If after winning the toss, you get all out for 109, you clearly don't have the runs to give your bowlers attacking fields. You will always be under pressure. Had they scored 180, it would have been different. So that is one reason, And secondly, in the second innings as well, Indians batted believing that 'Iss pitch pe, humein toh out hi hona hai (We eventually have to get out on this pitch). So why not play a few shots and try to score runs. First Cheteshwar Pujara, and then Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne showed that if you play with a straight bat, you may get beaten, but playing with patience can give you runs," Gavaskar told Sports Tak.

It would be interesting to see what pitch India prepare for the fourth and last Test in Ahmedabad, that starts on March 9. India captain Rohit Sharma had said after Delhi Test win that they were going to ask the curator to prepare a seam-friendly wicket at Ahmedabad. But now the odds have changed. With Australia winning the third Test, the series is alive. Australia cannot win the series but they can stop India from doing so. Also, they have now qualified for the World Test Championship final (WTC 2023).

India need a confirmed win in fourth Test to qualify for the WTC 2023 final. At the end of the 3rd Test, Rohit made another statement where he said that turning tracks is where home side has been doing well consistently and they would still want to play on such tracks despite Indore loss.