The 53-year-old was part of the last Australian team that won a Test series in India in 2004 and played a crucial role in his side’s 2-1 win.
Former Australian leader and fast bowling legend Glenn McGrath said a lack of a game plan has hurt the Aussies in the ongoing Tests series against India after the callers lost the first two Tests in lower than three days on both occasions.
“I suppose they haven’t settled on a game plan on how to play spin in India that they’re confident with and can execute. In the first Test, they were too protective, and in the alternate Test, they were too aggressive. So we will see if they ’ve learned from those two matches, ” said McGrath, who’s in the megacity for his periodic visit to the MRF Pace Foundation, where he’s the Director.
“They’ve to find a happy medium and put a price on their gate. In India, you have to make an innings on solid defence and also look at ways to score and put the pressure back on the bowlers, ” he added.
The 53- time-old was part of the last Australian platoon that won a Test series in India in 2004 and played a pivotal part in his side’s 2- 1 palm.
With commander Pat Cummins and batter David Warner ruled out of the contest, the excursionists are likely to drink back Starc and all- rounder Cameron Green.
“There’s going to be a position of discomfort for a while, I don’t suppose it’s going to be 100 for a fair while, ” Starc said on Monday. “ But it’s clearly good enough. The ball’s coming out relatively nicely and I feel I ’m enough much at full cock.
“It wouldn’t be the first test match I ’ve played in some kind of discomfort. However, I would have only played five or 10 tests, If I only played when I was at 100 per cent.
“I ’m happy with where it’s at and I ’ve got enough of a pain threshold to deal with that stuff over the last 10 or 12 times. ”
Cummins has returned home to be with his ailing mama , leaving Steve Smith, who captained Australia between 2015 and 2018, to lead the side in his absence.
Starc felt the hearts still had a big part to play in the series, which has so far favoured the baits.
“It’s been a challenge in the last couple of weeks, the first two tests, ” he said.
“We do see spin playing a huge part in this test series, but the hearts have still played a particular part, whether it be with the new ball if it does reverse- swing, and being suitable to drift that skiddy ball, and bring the wholes into play.
When asked if current players didn’t have the same quality as the former period, the Aussie legend said, “ I won’t say players don’t have the capability. But we came over with a good game plan. We had Matthew Hayden, who sweeps a ball well, but it’s not about just sweeping every ball. It’s about being concentrated on balls on the wholes, keeping out anything outside this. So it’s just about putting pressure back on the Indian bowlers. And I suppose, at the moment, they haven’t been suitable to do that. ”
Opining on the Australian bowling attack, McGrath said, “ They’ve sailed well but haven’t been suitable to come and clean up the tail. The last three batters (Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja and R. Ashwin) are the bones
Causing the problem. Also, I wonder if they got the bowling changes right. perhaps Pat Cummins could have come in earlier with a bit of rear swing to try to pick early lattices at the death. ”
McGrath further said the absence of Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Cameron Green had affected the platoon balance but, at the same time, also questioned selection opinions like the elision of Travis Head for the first Test in Nagpur.
Looking ahead to the following two Tests, McGrath- known for his bold and confident pre-series prognostications during his playing days- grimly said, “ Australia has a long way to turn effects around. However, I suppose they would have done well, If they leave the props with the score line not being 4- 0. ” Know More Latest Cricket News…
