Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has slammed the Australian media for ‘chickening out’ and singling out India’s reactions to not playing the Brisbane Test. Team India expressed their unwillingness to travel to Brisbane for the fourth Test. Since then the Australian media has portrayed them in bad light and questioned their professionalism. Meanwhile, fresh COVID cases in the city has put the fourth Test under more jeopardy. The former Indian batsman said that the Australian media is creating a wrong image of Team India over the whole issue.
Describing the Aussie media as the “12th man” on his Youtube Channel Chopra said that an image is being created as if the Indian team is “chickening out” of the Brisbane Test.
“This is very typical of Australian media and this is how they behave. They became the 12th man. It happened during the last tour as well. They would leak a small video clip of how Ravindra Jadeja and Ishant Sharma are arguing, and the stump mic caught some abusive exchanges between the players.”
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Australian Media Creating Wrong Image of India: Aakash Chopra
He further said that the image created that India is fearing from a grassy pitch in Gabba keeping in mind Australia’s record at the venue is an attempt to ‘chickening out’ is a misrepresentation of the team’s abilities.
“It is the Australian team who should think about playing on a different surface, on a more quicker pitch. But the atmosphere has been created that the Indian team does not want to play in Gabba and they are ‘chickening out’ because they are scared of the grass on Gabba surface,” he further said.
Aakash Chopra further said that India is better placed to win the Gabba Test if the Test match eventually happens. He further said that if Steve Smith fails to perform, the chances of India winning the game increases all the more.
He concluded by saying that the atmosphere created around the Brisbane Test reminded him of the Australian media, players ganging up when their backs against the wall and they are on the back foot.
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