India’s mindset to ‘intimidate’ Australia’s rookie players didn’t pay off: Mitchell Johnson

New Delhi: Former Australia fast-bowler Mitchell Johnson believes that India ‘two vs 11’ mindset to intimidate the Australian rookie players like Sam Konstas and Beau Webster during the recent Sydney Test didn’t pay off. In the match, India suffered a six-wicket defeat at Sydney, as Australia won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 3-1 after a decade. “The Indian side appeared to embrace the mindset that it was “two against 11” out in the middle, aiming to make the Aussie batters feel isolated and under pressure. The focus was on not just testing the technical skills of their opponents but also challenging their mental toughness.

“In Test cricket, it’s crucial to create that environment, one where the batters are distracted from their primary objective. This psychological edge can often prove to be just as important as any physical skill in the game. Trying to intimidate the Aussie rookies didn’t really pay off with both Konstas and Beau Webster proving their worth,” wrote Johnson in his column for The Nightly on Monday.

At the same time, Johnson reckoned Konstas taking on Jasprit Bumrah in a verbal volley on day one was not a praiseworthy act. “I appreciate what Konstas was trying to do by supporting his teammate, but it was simply the wrong time for that kind of engagement. At that late stage of the day, there could only be one winner.

“I wonder if Khawaja had a chat with Konstas or if any of the other senior players offered him some advice after the day’s play on how to navigate such situations. This highlights a crucial aspect of introducing new players to the team: they need the guidance of experienced teammates to understand how to handle various scenarios within the game’s dynamics.” IANS

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