India vs Australia: Ian Chappell questions hosts strategy against Usman Khawaja on day one of 3rd Test

Ahmedabad, March 9: Former Australia captain Ian Chappell has questioned India's strategy when bowling to Usman Khawaja on the opening day of the third Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

With the pitch not favouring the bowlers much like in the first three Tests, Indian bowlers toiled hard and got the breakthrough just before lunch on day 1 of the final Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2023.

Opener Travis Head departed after he tried to be aggressive against Ravichandran Ashwin, while Marnus Labuschagne played one off Mohammed Shami on to the stumps.

But Khawaja and Steve Smith resisted the Indian bowling till tea before the latter chopped one off Ravindra Jadeja just after tea, and Shami bowled a beauty to get rid of Peter Handscomb early.

Although India were able to take four wickets in the first innings of the game, Khawaja played a gritty knock to slam his 14th Test hundred as he went on to share an unbeaten stand of 85 with Cameron Green at stumps.

While Shami was the only Indian bowler with two wickets, the spinners were unable to trouble the Australia batters. The Indian bowlers prefferred bowling from round the wicket to Khawaja, allowing him to play to his strength on the onside.

Former Australian captain praised Khawaja's calmness, but said the Indian bowlers got their strategy completely wrong against the Australian opener and that may hurt them in the crucial Test match.

"I think the calmness of Khawaja has been exemplary in this series. One thing I can't understand is India's desire to come around the wicket at all times to a left-hander. It just doesn't make any sense to me," Chappell said during his analysis to CricInfo.

"All the good left-handers I have spoken to have said the right arm over the wicket is the toughest line to face. Ok, now for every now then for a change you can bowl around the wicket. It works well in England but in India, it is ridiculous.

"Particularly to a player like Khawaja, whose great strength is his on-side. We saw that today. Why would you angle the ball into his pads, when that's exactly what he wants."

"The other thing about Khawaja is, he looked at ease at all times. India to me, haven't come up with a solution to Khawaja's batting and it is really starting to hurt them," the Australia legend added.