Michael Vaughan lauds Australia's performance in ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Former England cricketer Michael Vaughan has lauded the Australian cricket team for their phenomenal show in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. After a dismal start, losing the first Test at Perth, Australia made a strong comeback to win in Adelaide and dominate the rain-affected third Test at Brisbane. "The Aussies have played well for the last three games," Vaughan told Fox Sports.
Australia's comeback in the series
In the ongoing Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Australia have taken a commanding position. The hosts finished their first innings at 474 runs, leaving India at 164/5 at stumps on Day 2. This strong performance comes after their victory in Adelaide and dominance in Brisbane, marking a significant turnaround for the Australian side in the series.
Steve Smith's century and Australia's bowling prowess
Steve Smith's 34th Test century (140) and his 156-run partnership with Pat Cummins helped Australia post 474 in the first innings. The Australian bowlers, spearheaded by Scott Boland who took two wickets on Day 2, made sure India ended the day behind. Boland has now taken as many as seven wickets in this series so far.
Vaughan attributes Australia's comeback to 'skill'
Vaughan credited Australia's comeback in the series to 'skill.' He implied that the first loss at Perth could have been a wake-up call for Pat Cummins and his men. "Sometimes a team can need a little bit of a prod and poke and I think the bear was stoked in Perth," he added. But he cautioned against such tactics too often because of their unpredictability.
Gilchrist praises Smith's batting performance
Former Australian wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist also praised Steve Smith for his brilliant century. "It was just a masterclass. He seems to have freed himself up and realized that batting is fun again," Gilchrist told Fox Cricket. The praise comes after Smith ended an 18-month century drought with a hundred at Brisbane last week, before scoring his fastest Test hundred in nine years at Melbourne in the ongoing match.
