Australia would be ‘worst blokes in the world’ if they celebrated like Kohli, says Langer
Team Udayavani, Dec 8, 2018, 9:51 AM IST
Adelaide: Australian coach Justin Langer says if his players were to celebrate wickets like Indian captain Virat Kohli does, they would now be seen as “the worst blokes in the world”.
Langer also took umbrage at Sachin Tendulkar’s “defensive mindset” tweet following Australia’s slow batting on the second day of the opening Test against India.
Kohli was his usual animated self on Friday, celebrating Australian wickets with gusto. Langer said he “loved seeing that passion” but felt Australia players would be judged differently if they did the same.
“He’s (Kohli) a superstar of the game and he’s the captain. We’ve talked for as long as I can remember in Australian cricket teams that you want to keep the opposition captain down as much as possible. You love seeing that passion in sport,” Langer told Fox Cricket.
“Mind you I think if we did that at the moment we’d be the worst blokes in the world. It’s a fine line, isn’t it?
“That’s the truth of it, but I love seeing the passion, that is a great passion. But as I said there’s a fine line.”
The head coach did concede the team was playing to a different standard of scrutiny, a fallout of the ball-tampering fiasco in South Africa in March.
Earlier, Tendulkar wrote on his twitter handle, “TeamIndia should make the most of this situation and not lose their grip. The defensive mindset by the Australian batsmen at home is something I’ve not seen before in my experience.”
The legendary batsman’s comment did not go well with Langer, who defended his inexperienced batting line-up’s approach.
“The teams that Sachin would have played against started with Allan Border and David Boon, and Steve Waugh and Mark Waugh, and Ricky Ponting,” Langer told Fox Cricket.
“Guys that had great Test match experience and they knew their game, were comfortable in their own skin and they knew what to expect.
“Whereas we’ve got a team at the moment who are very inexperienced in Test match cricket, particularly our batting side.”
Tendulkar, who played his first match against Australia in 1991, and his last in 2013, faced a different era of Australian cricket compared to the current side that is rebuilding in the wake of the ball-tampering fiasco.
Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.
Top News
Related Articles More
Dhoni simply owns that space, says Fleming
Feels good when you get most decisions right: KL Rahul
IPL 2024: Rahul, De Kock slam fifties; LSG beat CSK by 8-wickets
Injuries don’t define you: Mohammed Shami shares rehab update
Rishabh Pant set for emotional homecoming in stern Sunrisers Hyderabad test for Delhi Capitals
MUST WATCH
Latest Additions
Neha murder case: Sumalatha Ambareesh expresses concern
Never dreamt of getting Vadodara LS poll ticket: BJP’s youngest candidate in Gujarat; eyes big win
PM Modi running ‘school of corruption’, says Rahul Gandhi
Elon Musk says India visit delayed due to Tesla obligations
Udupi Sri Krishna Matha: Sundarakanda Pravachana inaugurated