Josh Hazlewood axed or out injured? Sunil Gavaskar ‘simply loving’ Australian ‘panic’ | Cricket News – Times of India

Batting legend and former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has ruffled a few Australian feathers by hinting that Josh Hazlewood might have been dropped, contrary to the official reason of ‘side strain’ given for his unavailability for the second Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy in Adelaide.
In his latest column for ‘mid-day’, Gavaskar has hinted that Hazlewood might have paid the price for putting the blame on batters in his comments during the first Test in Perth, which Australia lost by 295 runs.
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“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.
Australia batters failed to take advantage after bowling India out for a mere 150 and the hosts’ first-innings folded up for a mere 104 against an unplayable Jasprit Bumrah, who took five wickets. The Aussies were bowled out for 238 in their second innings.
After the third day’s play, Hazlewood’s comments suggested a divide in the Australian camp.
“You probably have to ask one of the batters that question,” the pacer had said when asked about Australia failing to take advantage. “I’m sort of relaxing and trying to get a bit of physio and a bit of treatment, and I’m probably looking mostly towards the next Test and what plans we can do.”

A couple of days after the match, it was announced that Hazlewood has picked up a side strain and thus won’t play the Adelaide Test.
Gavaskar found the timeline of the development “strange”.
“Now, a few days later, Hazlewood is out of the second Test and possibly the series too with a supposed side strain. Strange, that, since nobody had noticed anything wrong with Hazlewood at that media conference. Mystery, mystery — the likes 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 wrote in the column.