Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25: Hazlewood’s Comment Sparks Rift Rumors, Travis Head Denies Tension After Australia’s Perth Humiliation by India

India handed Australia a punching 295-run defeat in the first Test at Perth, exposing vulnerabilities in the Australian batting lineup. The top order failed in both innings against a top-notch Indian pace attack, sparking concerns about Australia’s recent struggles against quality bowling.

During the game, Splash of controversy sparked surrounding a comment of Aussie pacer Josh Hazlewood. When asked about Australia’s ability to chase India’s target, he remarked:

You probably have to ask one of the batters that question… I’m probably looking mostly towards the next Test.

While his statement ignited speculation of possible rifts within the team, his teammate Travis Head refuted claims of discord in the squad. Speaking to sources, Head said:

I think (people have) picked the bones out of a comment on the back of a poor week, which is fine. It’s OK to be critical, we understand that. We stuck together and had some good conversations, definitely no fractions. All the boys hung out together last night.

About the upcoming pink ball test, Head further added:

We play the pink ball well traditionally there and look we’re going to have to. There’s no hiding behind that, we’ve got to play better. Nothing’s guaranteed in this game, but if we work hard, no reason why we can’t turn it around.

India, however, has its own pink-ball history in Adelaide, having suffered a collapse for just 36 runs in the 2020/21 series but remains confident following dominant performances since. The stakes are high as Australia fights to level the series.