Chappell cites Mike Tyson to slam Australia's BGT show, 'It is not the way to succeed'

Former Australia captain Greg Chappell has slammed the Pat Cummins-led side for their poor performance in the first two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Chappell believes Australia didn't play on its strength as they picked spinners just for the sake of it, which according to him is not the way to succeed in India. Chappell said Australia should have picked their best bowlers and trusted them to do the job and should have backed that with sensible bowling. 

Chappell also cited boxing legend Mike Tyson's quote to explain Australia's downfall in India. Chappell said Australia punched on its own mouth long before the first ball was even bowled in the series. Chappell called Australia's planning an "exercise in futility," saying that the visitors based their plan for the series on a flawed premise.  

“It was Mike Tyson who said in the lead-up to a fight with Evander Holyfield: Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. My concern after watching the first two Tests is that the Australian team punched themselves in the mouth long before the first ball was even bowled. It is one thing to plan, but to base that plan on a flawed premise is an exercise in futility,” Chappell wrote in his column for The Sydney Morning Herald.

“Australia needed to play to their strengths to have a chance of winning this series. Spin bowling is not our strength. Picking spinners for the sake of it is not the way to success in India. We had to pick our best bowlers and trust them to do the job and back that with sensible batting, based on sound principles,” Chappell added.

India vs Australia

India defeated Australia in the first two Tests to retain the coveted Border-Gavaskar Trophy and go 2-0 up in the four-match series. India won the second Test match in Delhi by 6 wickets despite Australia looking favourites at one point in time. Australia reduced India to 139 for 7 in their first innings but a 114-run partnership between Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel helped the home side recover and reach a run short of the visitors' first-innings score. The third Test match is scheduled to take place in Indore starting March 1. 

Image: BCCI