Sunil Gavaskar addressed the apparent turmoil within the Australian cricket team after India's emphatic 295-run victory in the first Test at Perth.
Gavaskar's sharp observations, in his column in Sportstar magazine, have drawn attention to the panic seeping through the Australian ranks, especially following comments made by pacer Josh Hazlewood.
'The panic in the Australian ranks is palpable, what with former players calling for heads to be chopped off and some even hinting at cracks in the Australian team after Josh Hazlewood's media interview at the end of the third day's play, where he suggested that it was up to the batters to now do something,' Gavaskar wrote.
The crushing defeat has left Australia trailing 1-0 in the five-match series.
Hazlewood has since been ruled out of the second Test in Adelaide -- and possibly the series -- due to a side strain.
'Strange, that, since nobody had noticed anything wrong with Hazlewood at that media conference. Mystery, mystery -- the like of which used to be common in Indian cricket in the past. Now it's the Aussies, and like old McDonald, I'm simply loving it,' Gavaskar quipped.
Gavaskar also heaped praise on Yashasvi Jaiswal for his stunning 161 in the second innings after a forgettable start in the first.
'That young Yashasvi Jaiswal showed he is a quick learner was evident by the straightness of his bat at the start of the second innings. As he settled down with wonderful guidance from K L Rahul at the other end, one could see the Aussie shoulders sagging at the inevitability of another big hundred from this prodigy,' Gavaskar noted.
Among the standout performances, Gavaskar singled out debutant all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy for his composed innings of 47 and 38 not out, combined with a useful scalp.
'He showed an awareness of what was required, which belied the fact that he was making his Test debut. Even in the first innings, he displayed a refreshing grasp of scoring opportunities and ended up as the top scorer. His bowling too came in handy, and his fielding was outstanding. Here is a man for the future,' Gavaskar wrote.
'This time India goes to Adelaide, having once again proven all the experts wrong in Perth with a performance that can be ranked in the top 10 victories in recent times.
'Jasprit Bumrah led from the front with a bowling effort that would have tested the greatest of batters across eras. He was constantly at them, and there was hardly a delivery that the batters could relax against, as he asked uncomfortable questions regularly.'
