Just like skipper Steve Smith, former Australian cricketers are also disappointed with the visitors' performances in the ongoing five-match ODI series against India.
Virat Kohli's men took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the limited-overs rubber with the five-wicket win in Indore on Sunday, September 24 consigning Australia to a humiliating overseas record - 11 defeats in 11 completed ODI matches.
As it turned out, ODI great Michael Bevan and pacer Peter Siddle were involved in war of words over the woeful performances of Smith's men in India.
It all started when Bevan took to Twitter and expressed his desire to help out the Australian batsmen after they suffered their second consecutive collapse of the series in the second ODI in Kolkata on September 21. In chase of a modest 253, the visitors were bowled out for 202 following Kuldeep Yadav's historic hat-trick.
Bevan also added his intention was not to rub it in but that he was keen on landing a job with the Australian cricket team.
@CricketAus would love to be considered for the role of ODI batting coach -where do I apply?
— michael bevan (@mbevan12) September 22, 2017
Ps not saying aussies are crap. Great record over last couple years. Just saying I'm looking..
— michael bevan (@mbevan12) September 23, 2017
Bevan gets World Cup-winning captain's approval
Exactly what this team needs buddy ??? https://t.co/TfOFla8GuG
— Michael Clarke (@MClarke23) September 22, 2017
Siddle blasts Bevan
However, the comments did not go down well with Siddle, who blasted Bevan for his ill-timed Tweet.
The 32-year-old went on to add that Smith's men needed support and "not those blokes that haven't been around and haven't been helping out at either State or international cricket just to throw out a tweet."
"It's a little bit low. I'd love to see him [Bevan] apply for a job with NSW [New South Wales] or Victoria, start doing some work, not just throwing out a tweet when we're going bad, and when we're going well we don't hear from him," Siddle told "Fox Sports News".
"He was a brilliant player for Australia, one of the best. To have him around would be outstanding, but to just throw it out there after a bad loss is a bit disappointing."
Bevan hits back
Bevan, on Monday, September 25, clarified that his motivation was not to link his Tweet and Australia's performance in India.
"There was no intention to link the Australian performances with the fact that I wanted to do the [batting coach] role," Bevan told cricket.com.au.
He added: "I think Peter Siddle's comments were well intentioned ... but I'm not sure he knew my background in terms of my recent coaching in Sydney Premier cricket or my attempts to find work within the Cricket Australia framework."
Kohli determined to add to Smith's woes
Meanwhile, skipper Kohli hinted that his team will continue to be ruthless against the visitors in the remainder of the ODI series.
"We may give opportunities for people from now, but all 15 guys know that we got to be ruthless once we step onto the field. I know it won't happen every single day, but at least that mindset is there. Credit to the whole squad for the series win, but the journey stops only after the final game," the Indian captain said during the post-match presentation ceremony in Indore.
The two teams will now travel South for the fourth ODI, which will be played in Bengaluru on Thursday, September 28.
