File photo of Joe Burns.
With Australian team being marred with injuries of key players like David Warner and Will Pucovski, the OZ team is finding it hard to find apt replacements. Joe Burns and Marcus Harris are seen as the opening combination for the first pink-ball Test in Adelaide from December 17, but the duo failed in the Tour games against India.
Burns, who managed just one run over two innings, said he has made changes to his technique to deal with his woes outside the off stump but his performance in the warm-up game has left a lot to be desired.
And this certainly didn’t sit well with Oz legend Allan Border who is unhappy with the right-handed batsman not banking on opportunities thrown at him.
"My gut feel is just no [for Burns]. He has been given these little windows of opportunity because of injury, concussion, circumstances with other guys without nailing down a spot," the 65-year-old batting legend told Fox Sports.
"If he had just shown something, even if he had 20-odd today and batted OK and got a good ball to get out – you might think: 'OK, we'll stick with the incumbent'."
Border, who scored 11,000-plus runs in 156 Tests, also criticised Burns batting technique.
"It was good bowling, they [India] were attacking the off stump. He changed his guard a little bit to cover his off stump better but you can't miss straight ones on middle stump. He is just having that terrible run at the moment," Border said.
Border was also not impressed with left-handed Harris (5 off 16) for falling into a trap set up Mohammed Shami, saying it was a ‘three-card trick’ when Harris tried to glide him around the wicket to leg gully.
"It was a good piece of bowling, well thought out, they [India] have seen Marcus Harris a few times now," Border said.
"Just a three-card trick ... as a captain you love when things like that come off."
