Don't think current Indian side is better than ones I played against: Steve Waugh

Agencies
November 15, 2018

New Delhi, Nov 15: Former Australia captain Steve Waugh is "not sure" if the current Indian team led by Virat Kohli is any better than some of the sides that he played against during his international career.

Waugh spoke in reference to India coach Ravi Shastri's comments that this is "the best Indian side in the last 15 years".

"Look I have played against some great Indian sides and I am not sure that the current side is better than the ones we played against," Waugh told ESPN Cricinfo in an interview.

The 53-year-old said such comments could have been avoided as it puts pressure on the team. 

"I am not really sure but probably not a great thing to say as it puts extra pressure on the team. Once they start losing, they will get a lot of criticism for that. Look, it's good that Ravi Shastri believes in his side but comments like these could be kept to himself," Waugh said.

The former skipper known for his mental disintegration tactic feels that Australia despite recent problems would be hard to beat in their own den.

"Australia will be hard to beat in Australia. We have a bowling attack as good as any team in world cricket and we can take wickets. It's our batting if we score 350 runs in first innings, I think we will be very hard to beat. And someone will always come and do well and that's the nature of the sport. 

"I am still pretty confident that we can win in Australia but it's going to be a close series though," Waugh said about the Test series starting December 6.

Like everyone else, he praised Virat Kohli for his supreme consistency comparing him with Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar.

"He is a great player and he loves these big moments. He is like Tendulkar and Lara. They wait for these and that's where they want to show their best. He will be the dangerman straightaway but they have some pretty good batsmen," Waugh said.

"Actually, India have quite a rounded team and they will see this as a significant chance. They would have prepared for this tour for a long time. I think it is going to be really close series," he added.

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News Network
March 27,2024

IPLbettingsuicide.jpg

Bengaluru: Darshan Babu is an engineer who is fond of betting on cricket matches and has been placing major bets on Indian Premier League (IPL) games since 2021. He often borrows money after losing a bet, or to place one when he is short on funds. His 23-year-old wife, tired of the constant harassment by creditors, died by suicide.

Ranjitha was found hanging at her home in Karnataka's Chitradurga on March 18. According to the family, Darshan had racked up a debt of over Rs 1 crore.

He worked as an assistant engineer in the Minor Irrigation Department at Hosadurga and had been ensnared in the realm of IPL betting from 2021 to 2023. This took a major toll on the couple's finances. Allegedly, he had borrowed over Rs 1.5 crore to place bets after his luck ran out and he lost all his money. While he managed to return Rs 1 crore, cops say that he still has a pending loan of ₹ 84 lakh.

Ranjitha married Darshan in 2020. She realised the truth about Darshan's involvement in betting in 2021, claims her father Venkatesh.

In his complaint, Venkatesh said that his daughter was extremely distressed due to the constant harassment by moneylenders and this led to her suicide. He has also named 13 men who had allegedly lent the money.

He said that his son-in-law was lured into betting with a promise of quick money.

"He (Darshan) was not willing to get into betting, but the suspects forced him saying it was an easy way to get rich. They promised to finance his betting activities against some blank cheques as security," he said.

Cops during their investigation found a suicide note, where she detailed the harassment they faced. Darshan and Ranjitha have a two-year-old son.

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