“Trying to intimidate the Aussie rookies didn’t pay off” - Mitchell Johnson’s scathing attack on India after 1-3 loss in BGT 2024-25

Former Australian speedster Mitchell Johnson took a dig at Team India, claiming that their tactics to intimidate the rookie Aussie players didn't pay off in the five-Test series. Johnson observed that two out of three debutants for Australia proved their worth in the 3-1 series win.

Although Nathan McSweeney failed to impress, his replacement Sam Konstas made an instant impact after debuting in the Boxing Day Test, hitting a quick-fire 60 in the first innings of that game. However, Konstas was also involved in a few flashpoints, beginning with Virat Kohli shoulder-barging the right-hander on day one of the Melbourne Test. Later, he tried to hype the crowd when Kohli lost his wicket.

The New South Welshman indulged in a verbal altercation with Jasprit Bumrah late on day one of the Sydney Test. However, it backfired as India wildly celebrated after dismissing Usman Khawaja moments later, signaling how the heated episode fired them up. All-rounder Beau Webster was the third debutant of the series and made critical contributions across facets in Sydney to help Australia to victory.

In his column for The Nightly, the 43-year-old stated that India's mindset of intimidating players is quite common and that Test cricket involves such moments.

"The Indian side appeared to embrace the mindset that it was “two against 11” out in the middle, aiming to make the Aussie batters feel isolated and under pressure. The focus was on not just testing the technical skills of their opponents but also challenging their mental toughness. In Test cricket, it’s crucial to create that environment, one where the batters are distracted from their primary objective.

"This psychological edge can often prove to be just as important as any physical skill in the game. Trying to intimidate the Aussie rookies didn’t really pay off with both Konstas and Beau Webster proving their worth."

Australia's head coach Andrew McDonald had accused India of intimidating Konstas during the Sydney Test. However, his opposite number Gautam Gambhir said the youngster had no business speaking to Bumrah, who was chatting with Khawaja.

"It was simply the wrong time for that kind of engagement" - Mitchell Johnson

Jasprit Bumrah and Sam Konstas. (Credits: cricket.com.au X)

While Johnson feels Konstas did the right thing by standing up for his teammate, the former speedster underlined that there are better ways of tackling such situations without letting the opposition get on top of them. Johnson added:

"I appreciate what Konstas was trying to do by supporting his teammate, but it was simply the wrong time for that kind of engagement. At that late stage of the day, there could only be one winner. I wonder if Khawaja had a chat with Konstas or if any of the other senior players offered him some advice after the day’s play on how to navigate such situations."

"This highlights a crucial aspect of introducing new players to the team: they need the guidance of experienced teammates to understand how to handle various scenarios within the game’s dynamics."

It is also the first Test series Australia has won over India in ten years.