It’s very disappointing- Justin Langer on missing WTC final spot due to slow over-rate vs India

Australian coach Justin Langer has lamented the slow over-rate against India in the Boxing Day Test which cost his team, a spot in the final of WTC.

Four points were docked as Tim Pains’ side fell two overs short of the required rate of the 15 overs per hour.

The loss of 4 points meant that Australia finished third (69.2 %) behind New Zealand (70 %), which will face India (72 %) in the final at Southampton in June this year.

According to the rules, the teams are penalized 20 percent of their match fees and two WTC points for every over they fail to bowl in the allotted time.

Justin Langer said that the manager of the team Gavin Dovey was on leave and so Australia was not aware of the slow over-rate in the match.

Read More | AB de Villiers lauds Indian Captain Virat Kohli, Hails His Leadership Skills As India Crush England 3-1

“This might be the silliest thing I’ve ever said, but our manager Gavin Dovey … he’d been away, he’d gone home for Christmas to be with his family,” Langer told SEN.

“It wasn’t until after the game that we realized our over rate was down. Now, that’s really slack on our behalf.

“I remember we were in the team room afterward and I spoke to Painey (skipper Tim Paine) and Dene Hills, our analyst, about it. I was a bit grumpy about it and I thought ‘imagine if this cost us the World Test Championship.

“And I mentioned it to the players afterward that two overs down could cost us the World Test Championship. And so, we have to get better at that and make sure it doesn’t happen in Sydney and Brisbane.

“It was relevant at the time and it certainly became incredibly significant over the weekend.”

The decision to not to tour South Africa the road to the WTC final more difficult for the team.

Langer refused to blame postponed as the reason behind the team’s failure to make it the WTC final.

“It’s very disappointing, but the lesson is the things that we can control, we have to control. And we can’t relax for a second in Test cricket,” Langer added.

Source: IndiaToday