Former Indian spinner Pragyan Ojha has slammed Australia’s tactics to get under the skin of the Indians ahead of the third Test in SCG. A lot has been happening in the Indian camp before the third game. The Indian players were questioned for breaching the COVID protocol in Melbourne, after which the Queensland Health Minister had some disrespectful comments hurled at the team members after they expressed to not travel to Brisbane for the final Test.

An Australian newspaper further claimed that Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya breached the COVID protocols during the limited-overs leg of the tour. Ojha while reacting to the developments said that it is a futile attempt of the Australians to get under the skin of the Indian players.

Pragyan Ojha further said that the Australians were not been able to digest their defeat in Melbourne after winning comprehensively in Adelaide. This is a tactic of them trying to get under the skin of the Indian team. He further said that the Indian team knows what they need to do at the moment and they are focused on winning the last two Tests.

Pragyan Ojha Slams Australia’s Tactics

“Everybody knows Australians are bad losers. They are not able to take it (MCG defeat) despite five of our main players missing. Indian team is doing so well. They never expected the Indian team to win. They thought they could win, they were taken by surprise,” Pragyan Ojha told Sports Today.

“I feel it’s a big gimmick to take the pressure off Australia and try to get under the skin of the Indians. They don’t know we exactly know what they are trying to do. The Indian team is relaxed, they know what to do and focused on the last 2 Tests,” he added.

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Meanwhile, as far as India’s request to not travel to Brisbane is concerned, Cricket Australia Chief Executive Nick Hockley has denied any such reports. He further said that the BCCI has been ‘fully supportive’ in following all the norms in place for the smooth conduct of the series.

“We spoke to our counterparts at the BCCI daily. We’ve had nothing formal from the BCCI to suggest anything other than they’re supportive. Both teams have wanted to play the schedule as we’ve set out,” Hockley told the Australian media.

Both the Indian and the Australian team are expected to travel to Sydney on January 4, Monday. The third Test starts at the SCG from January 07. The series is 1-1 at the moment after India’s win at the MCG in the second Test.

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