Adelaide [Australia], December 2: Travis Head has firmly denied rumours of any discord within the Australian team, stating there is “definitely no divide” as the team prepares for the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) against India in Adelaide.
Australia, who were considered the favourites going into the BGT, faced a challenging start to the series, struggling on a tricky Perth pitch during the first Test. After a promising start on the opening day, India turned the tide to claim a dominant 295-run victory, which was highlighted by a record-breaking performance.
Amidst India’s success, speculation arose about a possible rift within the Australian camp, triggered by comments from experienced pacer Josh Hazlewood on Day 3. Hazlewood, speaking about his recovery, remarked, “You probably have to ask one of the batters that question. I’m sort of relaxing and trying to get a bit of physio and a bit of treatment, and I’m probably looking mostly towards the next Test and what plans we can do against these batters.”
This led former Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist, during Fox Sports coverage, to suggest that there might be a divide within the Australian dressing room, though he admitted he could be “reading too much into that.”
As the second Test approaches, Head addressed the growing speculation, urging that it be laid to rest. “That can be put to bed. I think that is the one thing with ‘body language’ and ‘divides’ and all the stuff that comes out when there is a loss,” Head told reporters. “This team has been together for three to four years, and when we were winning, it wasn’t that much different. The guys get along really well, we hold high expectations of both sides, and it is a very individualised sport, so batters want to hold our own. We know how good our bowlers have been in the past, so we know if we can get runs on the board, it puts us in a great position. Definitely no divide.”
As both teams prepare for the pink-ball Test, India enters with confidence after their recent victory over the Prime Minister’s XI. The second Test will begin on Friday, and both sides are fine-tuning their strategies for the upcoming clash.