“Stories planted in the media by the players or their agents or managers are making out that it was Langer’s intensity and passion that had the players under pressure and so affected their game. This is utter rubbish as once the players are out on the field, the coach can do nothing and the players themselves have to find the answers to the questions asked by the opposition,” Gavaskar stressed. However he questioned the logic of Australia deciding to bat first in the Melbourne Test match. “The one thing that they could possibly pin on the coach and the advisory group is the decision to bat first in the Melbourne Test match.

“Whether that was only the captain and senior players’ decision to bat first  or whether it was one that the coach Langer encouraged Tim Paine to take is not known but apart from that possibility, the Australians have nobody else to blame than themselves,” wrote Gavaskar.