Bhajji not gracious in defeat

Steve O’Keefe was instrumental in helping Australia record one of the most famous Test victories in recent times but hosts India have been quick to put their heavy defeat down to the pitch in Pune rather than the 32-year-old spinner’s performance. India captain Virat Kohli blamed his side’s twin batting collapses on their recklessness, while others felt the turning track had backfired on them.

Out-of-favour off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who has had several run-ins with Australian players, said he was not convinced by O’Keefe’s performance and would need to see him in action on a better track.

“I will have to see (O’Keefe) bowl on a good test match wicket. Not this one,” said the 36-yearold, who had predicted a 4-0 series defeat for Australia. “Until then, I will reserve my comments.

“To be honest, that wasn’t a pitch,” Singh, a veteran of 103 tests, said of the surface used for the series opener.

“Test cricket should last five days. You cannot play on such wickets where anyone runs in to bowl and takes wickets. I have played in over 100 tests, and I know how hard I had to work to earn every single wicket.”

All O’Keefe had to do was to bowl faster through air and be accurate, Singh said.

Former coach Ravi Shastri also felt O’Keefe was richly rewarded for his accuracy against the leaden-footed Indian batsmen. “Steve O’Keefe was controlled and accurate while his preys looked for spin which wasn’t always there,” the former test batsman wrote in a newspaper column.