Border Gavaskar Trophy: 4th Test, Day 1 - Flops of the day

1. David Warner

David Warner, the swashbuckling Australian opener has had an average series so far and it got worse today as he was out in the very first over (4th ball of the day) to Ishant Sharma, caught in slips. It will sure pile more misery on the explosive Aussie opener. He is touted to be the future captain of Australia and he has even indicated on a couple of occasions about his desire to lead the side. But after the performances in the current series, he might be fortunate to find himself in the team come next Ashes in July.

2. Ed Cowan

Warner’s opening partner Ed Cowan was more of a culprit on Day 1 as he was well set on 38 before attempting a sweep off Ashwin and getting bowled around his legs. Before the series started, he talked about following the former Aussie opener Mathew Hayden’s approach earlier in the decade and applying the sweep shot against Indian spinners. Unfortunately, it seems that he falls short in class and skill required for dominating Indian spinners like Haydos.

3. Shane Watson

Last 10 days of Shane Watson’s life have been nothing short of eventful to say the least. Getting dropped from the side for the now infamous “Homework gate”, he went back home, experienced the joy of becoming a father and came back to find to his surprise that he was to lead the side in place of regular captain Michael Clarke who was injured. He was foxed today by Ravindra Jadeja‘s spin and was dismissed for just 17. His average of 36.02 in the series so far does not do justice to his talent in the longest format of the game.

4. Pragyan Ojha

How fortune can change in the space of just a couple of months! Pragyan Ojha is the best person to know this. From being the best bowler in the team against England in the recently concluded series to play as fourth choice spinner behind Ashwin, Harbhajan and Jadeja, he has seen it all within a short span of time. With 99 wickets in 21 matches, he is now seen as the second choice spinner behind Ashwin in Test matches and with India not scheduled to play home Tests till October 2014, he will have very limited opportunities in the next 18 months.

But coming to today’s performance, without being harsh on him, he was average with the figures of 0/67 in 21 overs. Though he got a few to turn viciously, an odd wayward delivery every now and then didn’t help his cause.

5. Aleem Dar

Pakistan umpire Aleem Dar had a shocker of a today as he gave Mathew Wade out bat-pad when replays clearly showed otherwise. Since quite a few years he has been considered among the elite officials in cricketing world, but in the last two Tests, to say he was average would be an understatement. With no UDRS to fall back on, Aleem Dar needs to pull up his socks. For his continuing howlers, Dar features in our flop of the day.