The Australian head coach, Justin Langer reveals verbal abuse won’t be tolerated during the series with fierce rivals India as he promised that his team had moved on from their days of harsh sledging. Previous clashes between the two teams have been marked by bitter rows, and Australian opener David Warner said this week that he expects Virat Kohli and his men will try to wind him up during the tour. But Langer said the Aussies would keep any exchanges within the spirit of the game.
Describing the same during a conference call with the reporters, Langer said, “There’s plenty of room for banter, having fun and having that competitive instinct but there’s no room for abuse. Anyone who’s watched what’s happened in the last couple of years (can see), we’ve talked about our behaviors on and off the field.”
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In order to solve the selection dilemma, Langer hinted he was taking a conservative approach as they will have to chose between rising star Will Pucovski and out-of-form veteran Joe Burns at the top of the batting order.
Justin Langer explained, “We think very, very highly of Will, he has enormous talent. When the opportunity comes, he’s ready to play Test cricket. The opportunity hopefully will come for him at some point, whether it’s this series or a series to come.”
While all signs are that Burns will be expected to play ahead of Pucovski, Test greats such as Michael Clarke, Ian Chappell, and Mark Waugh have been clamoring for Pucovski’s inclusion after the 22-year-old plundered back-to-back double centuries for Victoria. Australia and India will play the first of three ODIs in Sydney on Friday, followed by three T20Is and four Test matches.
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Langer said the tour was economically important for cash-strapped Cricket Australia, but also a welcome distraction for cricket lovers everywhere during the Covid-19 pandemic. Explaining the same, the Australian head coach said, “To watch Australia and India is going to be great entertainment. Hopefully, it’s going to put some smiles on people’s faces, that’s the bigger picture we’re looking at.”
