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Former Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson has hit out at Team India for their tactics during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Johnson criticized India’s attempts to intimidate Australia’s debutants, claiming the strategy backfired when Australia won the Test. series 3-1
Mitchell Johnson noted that the Indian team tried to unsettle the debutants to exploit their inexperience, but young guns like Sam Konstas and Beau Webster stood tall, showing remarkable composure and delivering outstanding performances under pressure in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
Mitchell Johnson criticizes Team India’s failed attempts to break Australia’s Sam Konstas and Beau Webster
The former pacer also pointed out that India’s plan was not only to test the technical skills of newcomers like Sam Konstas and Beau Webster, but also to challenge their mental toughness, with the aim of making them feel isolated and vulnerable on the big stage.
Johnson highlighted how the Indians focused on creating an intimidating atmosphere, but their efforts ultimately fell flat as Australia’s young stars thrived in the high-stakes environment and emerged stronger and more resilient and helped Australia regain BGT after more than 10 years.
His efforts did not bear fruit: Mitchell Johnson
Mitchell Johnson wrote in his column for The Nightly: “The Indian side seemed to accept the mentality that it was ‘two against 11’ in the middle, with the aim of making the Australian batsmen feel isolated and under pressure. The focus was not only on testing technical skills, but also on challenging mental toughness. In Test cricket, it is crucial to create that environment, but his efforts did not pay off.”
The Sydney Test of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy saw tensions rise, with Australia head coach Andrew McDonald accusing India of trying to bully Sam Konstas. Later, Indian coach Gautam Gambhir rejected the claim, saying Konstas had no reason to get involved in an argument between them jasprit bumrah and Usman Khawaja.
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Mitchell Johnson backs Sam Konstas to support Usman Khawaja against Jasprit Bumrah at the SCG
Mitchell Johnson however backed Konstas to stand up for teammate Usman Khawaja, but felt the situation could have been handled more calmly by both India and Australia in the New Year Test in the SCG. The former pacer also believes that Australia’s senior players should have guided the newcomers in handling high-pressure scenarios.
Johnson further noted, “I appreciate what Konstas was trying to do by supporting his teammate, but it was simply the wrong time for that kind of commitment. At that late stage of the day, there could only be one winner. That 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 dynamics of the game.”
In particular, tensions flared when Sam Konstas exchanged words with Jasprit Bumrah during Australia’s first innings in the final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). The Indian pacer was frustrated that Usman Khawaja was allegedly delaying play before the close of session.
At the same time, Bumrah dismissed Khawaja, after which he and his India teammates marched to Konstas to vent their frustration. However, Bumrah was unable to play in the second innings after suffering a back spasm and India lost the SCG Test by six wickets against Australia.
