"They just looked like a nice team to play against" - Michael Vaughan on Australia after their defeat in BGT 2024-25 1st Test
Former England captain Micheal Vaughan feels Australia were too 'nice' during their 295-run defeat in the first Test against India in Perth. The 2005 Ashes-winning skipper observed that India looked more aggressive and played with the 'in-your-face' approach.
India were unfazed by the nature of the surface in Perth, described as the fastest and bounciest. While they were bowled out for 150 on Day 1, they wrested the initiative back by bundling Australia out for 104. With 534 required for victory, all that the hosts could manage was 238.
Speaking on SEN Mornings, here's what the 50-year-old said:
"India are a very dangerous side, particularly when they start to get confidence and I think we saw that in Perth. know India were on top, but India looked like a more aggressive team and a little bit more in-your-face in terms of playing cricket the way that Australia used to play. Australia just looked like a team that were just going - not through the motions - but they just looked like a nice team to play against."
Team India's second innings also saw Yashasvi Jaiswal telling Mitchell Starc that the ball was coming 'too slow' towards him. Nevertheless, Starc was seen walking away smiling.
"Maybe they missed David Warner" - Michael Vaughan on Team Australia
Vaughan also rued the lack of bouncers from Aussie pacers to Jaiswal as well as confronting Indian batters. In the same interview, he said:
"I didn't see any aggression. I didn't see the bouncer theory coming to Yashasvi Jaiswal. I didn't see any kind of confrontation out in the middle. Maybe they missed David Warner in that regard more than his batting … we were looking out on the field and they crying out for a little bit of something and maybe that's what David Warner brought to them when they were in the field.”
The hosts face an uphill task to level the series in the second Test, beginning on December 6 in Adelaide. Nevertheless, Pat Cummins and company will take credit for the fact that they are unbeaten in pink-ball Tests in Adelaide.