'This is a plot to remove Cummins from captaincy and...' - Former Pakistan cricketer makes bold statement about Australia's batting approach

Usman Khawaja (Image credit: Twitter)

After losing the first two Tests in Nagpur and Delhi, Australia bounced back in the third Test under Steve Smith's captaincy and secured a 9-wicket victory over India in Indore. They put up a massive score of 480 on the board in the fourth Test thanks to centuries from Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green in the first innings. Although the Aussies are currently in the driver's seat, former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali is not impressed with the visitors' batting approach as he feels they have been too defensive on both days.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, the former right-handed batter said:

“The way Australia played it felt like the team from 1970-80. They won the toss and scored 255 on Day 1 and 225 on Day 2. It felt like Australia are leading 2-1 in the series but it is India, who are leading 2-1. Just because they have reached the finals of World Test Championship, so they have maintained a defensive approach."

'They want to reinstate Smith as their new leader':  Basit

Australia had lost the first two Tests under the leadership of Pat Cummins. Now that Steve Smith has taken over the captaincy, they are doing well as they have won the Indore Test and are currently dominating the final Test as well. Highlighting this fact, Basit stated that Australia are currently playing for a draw and their plan is to remove the pace bowler from the captaincy and reinstate Smith. The 52-year-old also slammed their coach Andrew McDonald, calling him an ordinary player.

“The mindset with which Steve Smith and their coach Andrew McDonald employed was extremely sad. Their coach was an ordinary player and his thinking too is very ordinary. I also want to make one more point that this is a plot to remove Pat Cummins from the captaincy and reinstate Smith as their new leader. Smith led Australia to a win in the third Test and they now want to play a draw, so Smith can once again be at the helm with his selected group of players,” he said.

For proving his point on Australia's defensive approach, Basit also criticised the centurion Khawaja's innings. The ex-cricketer stated that Khawaja’s innings was very selfish and he played like a Bangladeshi batter.

“Usman Khawaja played like a batsman from Bangladesh. His approach was very timid, and I feel it was a selfish innings. You score 180 runs after playing 422 deliveries in this pitch. Only Green looked like a batter from Australia,” he added.