India vs Australia day-night Test in Adelaide: I had very happy memories in India, says Greg Chappell

Australian cricket legend Greg Chappell reflects on his time in India, shares insights on Bumrah, and discusses player retirements.

There was a flutter in the media enclosure as Greg Chappell dropped in for a while at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday (December 7, 2024). The Australian great and former India coach spoke about a range of topics with clarity and some dead-pan humour while other legends like Ricky Ponting said a quick hello to him.

The elephant in the room, his days in India, was tackled too as he said: “Do I miss the chaos and drama? Not really. But I miss a lot of India. I have very happy memories of my time in India. Sure, we had some ups and downs. And you guys (pointing to the reporters), you love controversy.”

Asked about his impressions about Jasprit Bumrah the skipper, Chappell replied: “He is a smart guy and understands the game. I don’t have a problem with fast bowling captains, it’s just that traditionally they thought that their workload was such that it would be hard.” And as for squaring up against Bumrah hypothetically, the batting stylist added: “I would play him as straight as I can, be in a neutral position and react appropriately.”

Chappell, Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh retired together in 1984, and asked about the final exit of big players, the former Australian skipper said that it depends on the selectors more than the concerned individual: “You cannot leave it to the player, it is the call of a robust selection panel. No team is a finished article and you have players coming in and leaving. The thing with the really good players is that you would rather give them one or two extra games rather than less, it is a tough call. As for the player, you would know when your time is up, the question is would you admit it?”