New Delhi, India

Former Australian captain Allan Border criticised Pat Cummins-led hosts for letting Virat Kohli 'roll onto a hundred without much resistance' during India's second innings of the Perth Test, which they won by 295 runs. Ahead of the second Test at the Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, Border slammed Australia's tactics in the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) opener, in Perth, and stated he doesn't want to see a confident Kohli as it would be alarming signs for the hosts. 

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Talking on SEN radio, Border said, "I was really disappointed in the way we let Kohli roll on to a hundred without much resistance. We don't want this guy full of confidence for the rest of the series.

Meanwhile, former Aussie opener Matthew Hayden had also stated on Channel 7, after India's Perth Test win, "They missed a few tricks with Virat Kohli in the early part of his innings. Nathan Lyon had a mid-on back, one on the off-side catching and a mid-wicket. I felt like it was so easy for him to get off strike." He further opined, "You can't cut a sucker an even break when a bloke is under pressure as he was. The field we finished with - two slips, no point, a man straight - it offered up the outside edge of his bat as well. He found it a little more frustrating. When he got the bit between the teeth, it was too late."

India bundled out for a paltry 150 on the opening day of the 2024/25 BGT edition, after opting to bat first. However, they stormed back into the match by dismissing Australia for 104, with stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah taking 5 for 30. From thereon, it was a one-way traffic as India rode on Yashasvi Jaiswal's 161, Kohli's 100* and KL Rahul's 77 to declare at 487-6, giving a massive 534-run target. Eventually, the home side bundled out for 238 to lose convincingly. 

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Also read: BGT 2024/25: Rahul should bat at No. 3 if Rohit Sharma wants to open in Adelaide Test, feels Pujara

Hayden also slammed the home bowling unit for not testing Jaiswal enough with the short-pitched deliveries. He added, "Jaiswal looked vulnerable against it. Maybe tiny things with Pat Cummins, the ability to think through these decisions. They were shell-shocked from the average batting performance (in the first innings) and as we see now, again, bombs are going."

India have a 1-0 lead in the five-match Test series in the ongoing BGT edition Down Under. The second Test kicks off on Dec 6 in Adelaide, i.e. a pink-ball contest. Australia would hope to find ways to keep Kohli at bay, who returned to form and slammed his third Test ton since 2020 (seventh in Australia).