File photo of Justin Langer.
Former Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar is having none of the Australian team excuses of blaming Justin Langer of putting no intensity and passion in the team as he called the players a bunch of brats who can't accept they were outplayed by India in 2-1 Test series loss last month.
Australia, who were considered favourite to win the series, lost to a depleted Indian squad at their bastion Gabba for the first time in 32 years; facing flak from the Oz media.
Reports also surfaced that a section of Australia's players were unhappy with Langer's methods, which Gavaskar said didn't reflect too well on the team.
"The leaks to the media about Langer actually reflects badly on the Australian team as it portrays them as brats who can't accept they were outplayed and so need to shift the blame elsewhere,” Gavaskar wrote in a column for Mid-day.
"Stories planted in the media by the players or their agents or managers are making out that it was Langer’s intensity and passion that had the players under pressure and so affected their game. This is utter rubbish as once the players are out on the field, the coach can do nothing and the players themselves have to find the answers to the questions asked by the opposition."
Gavaskar said he can only blame Langer for one mistake in the series and that is opting to bat first after winning the toss in the Second Test at Melbourne, which Indian eventually won by eight wickets.
"The one thing that they could possibly pin on the coach and the advisory group is the decision to bat first in the Melbourne Test match.
"Whether that was only the captain and senior players’ decision to bat first or whether it was one that the coach Langer encouraged Tim Paine to take is not known but apart from that possibility, the Australians have nobody else to blame than themselves."
Earlier, Steve Smith had thrown his weight behind Langer, saying the coach has done a terrific job over the last couple of years.
