Things we can control, we have to control: Justin Langer laments slow over rate costing Australia WTC Final spot

Australian coach Justin Langer has called the slow over mistake committed by his team as something ‘really slack’ after it came down to a difference of 0.3 percentage points between them and their trans-Tasman neighbours New Zealand to qualify for the inaugural Wolrd Test Championship. 

In an interview with Australian radio SEN, Langer explained how perplexed and distraught he felt after realising the mistake made by his team during the Melbourne Test.

“It wasn't until after the game that we realised our over-rate was down. Now, that's really slack on our behalf,” he said. 

Langer, 48, further went on to tell how he had said in a very grumpy tone to his players and skipper Tim Paine how those two overs can cost them the World Test Championship. 

"I remember we were in the Team room after the game, I spoke to Painey 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'," Langer said.

"And I mentioned it to the players afterwards 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,” he added. 

However, the four points cut after the slow over-rate in MCG did eventually come back to bite the Aussies. After cancelling the South Africa tour and India defeating England 3-1 in the series, Australia remained stranded on the third position in the Points Table.  

Saying that they have learnt the lesson of at least controlling the controllable, Langer said, "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."