MITCHELL JOHNSON: Michael Vaughan and Sunil Gavaskar’s criticism of Aussies is about more than fair analysis

Travis Head says there is no tension between the batsmen and bowlers in Australia’s Test team.

And, to be honest, I’m sure that’s the case. In a team environment, there is plenty of banter between the batters and bowlers while the wicket-keepers float in between to keep both groups happy.

The bowlers are the engine room and you can only win a Test match if you take 20 wickets.

What many people picked up on during the first Test were comments from both Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood when asked about batting plans. The reaction to the comments is an overreach, and both Starc and Hazlewood wouldn’t have had that intent.

I can see both sides to this but the questions could have been answered in a better way. Instead, both bowlers answered it in the same way - saying they had no clue about batters’ plans as they aren’t batsmen or in those batting meetings.

In a team sport like cricket, they could have answered in more of a team manner to avoid questions arising about whether there was tension within the team.

Maybe both Starc and Hazlewood were frustrated at the batting unit for not backing them up after a good first innings, when India were rolled for 150, and giving them a bit more rest to back up for the second innings.

But as for tension or a divide in the team, although from the outside it may have been interpreted that way, this team genuinely seems very close. They have played a lot of cricket together through thick and thin.

The issue is another example of just how loud the media noise around international cricket is now. There is a bigger media presence on game days than ever and more interviews, more insight, an increased social media presence and even cameras behind the scenes for documentaries.

Increased accessibility overall is the future of cricket. Everyone has their say now, even people from countries not involved in the Test series they are commentating on such as Michael Vaughan on Fox Cricket.

We’ve got an ex-England captain here stirring the pot with his opinions on our Australian players and team ahead of the Ashes next summer.

While I understand Vaughan has plenty of experience and knowledge of the game, I don’t understand why he is commenting on the Australian players. His loyalty is with England, not Australia.

I wonder what Aussie cricket fans make of it. You don’t usually see commentators being used for a series that doesn’t involve their country.

The other one that caught my attention was Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar’s column on Hazlewood, suggesting he was dropped for his mild comments at the press conference rather than being left out with a legitimate side injury.

With respect to Gavaskar and his commentary in general - I’ve enjoyed working with him in the past and learned a lot just sitting and listening to him talk about the game - his take this week is nothing more than a wind-up.

Gavaskar is using his media platform to distract, disrupt, annoy, and take advantage of a comment Hazelwood made.

That’s Gavaskar’s job, to make comments on what he sees, but it was done for no other reason than to get a reaction and aid India.

Anyway, back to the actual cricket. It’s not time for the Australian team to panic but I sense India won’t be giving an inch in the second Test with a few big players back in the side.

The Aussies have a bit going on with injury scares and form, but knowing they have a successful record in day-nighters at Adelaide Oval will give them a lot of confidence tomorrow.

What I am liking about this series so far is that it’s tough to call who will win. And I think that’s great for Test cricket. It brings excitement and anticipation when you know Australia won’t just dominate.

The pink-ball Adelaide Test has become iconic. And it was already a great place to play cricket with entertainment out the back of the ground and the history, the beautiful scenery of the old scoreboard and the backdrop of the church. I can comfortably say most cricketers love playing at Adelaide Oval.

The build-up and excitement around the Adelaide Test makes you feel that the summer of cricket is well and truly here.