INDORE:Australian opener David Warner was at a loss to explain his team’s continuing batting failure in the ongoing ODI series against India, but dismissed criticism that the visitors were struggling to read the home spinners.
Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal have consistently bamboozled the visitors in the series but Warner said it has got nothing to do with the batsmen’s ability to pick their line. The Aussies are currently trailing 0-2 in the five-match series.
Explaining the predicament, the left-hander said listless batting at the top makes it difficult to take the spinners head on.
“I find that the players can read them. One or two of the players probably can’t see the seam. Players react of the wicket. One needs to have a game plan against spin. When you lose wickets in clumps, one gets tentative,” Warner said at the pre-match press conference ahead of the third one-dayer here tomorrow.
“One has to apply pressure. If you get off to a good start and the spinners come on, it is a different ball game. The tempo is different.”
Asked if it was a technical flaw or a mental block that was getting in the way of performing well, Warner said it’s an issue they face due to growing in a completely different scenario but seniors have no reasons to make excuses.
“When it comes to technique…You grow up on wickets that are fast and bouncy, when you come to the subcontinent, it is your first series and it is hard to adapt. When you keep coming back, there are no excuses. You should know the conditions,” he said.
Warner, captain Steve Smith, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Stoinis, James Faulkner, Glenn Maxwell, and Matthew Wade have played enough in India during the IPL and in bilateral series.
“When you go out there, you become tentative. The game situation dictates the situation. You lose a couple of wickets, what do you do? Use your feet. Do you play with one stride.
“You have to adapt here. As a senior player coming back to these conditions, you must know the conditions. You should know how to find the boundary and rotate strike,” Warner said, calling on the seniors to take lead in breaking the shackles.
The captain of the IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad rued the dismal show of the batsmen.
He referred to the lost platform in the second ODI in Kolkata, where they had a good partnership between Smith and Stoinis but the middle-order collapse steered them to a 50-run defeat.
“The batters have been disappointed. Our mindset is to score runs and put the bowlers under pressure. It was difficult to get going in the first couple of overs in both the games.
“As an opening batsman, it was quite hard to get any kind of rhythm. The Indians bowled an exceptional spell first on and got two early wickets. We had a partnership but it did not carry on.
“Steve Smith spoke about this to the guys that when we get in, we had to stay till the end. We did not have any batters at the end, except Marcus Stoinis. We needed another batsman with him,” he said.
Talking about his own struggle, Warner expressed helplessness but remained optimistic. In two matches, he has scored 25 and 1.
“If I had the answer, we would be winning. We have had a lot of games with weather interrupting. At the end of the day, we are not winning. We have had batting collapses, we have to work on that. There are no answers. It just happens in the game but there will be a turnaround.”
They are the reigning world champions and their current plight does not go with their status but Warner said not much can be done.
“We are world champions but with a different team. When we became world champions, we were playing with a different team. There was a different dynamic. The team has undergone some chopping and changing.
“We have to find a stable team and one which works out best for the 2019 World Cup. It is a work in progress,” he said. (AGENCIES)
SPO-HOCK-TOUR
Men’s and women’s India A hockey teams to play in Aus league
NEW DELHI, Sept 23:
The men’s and women’s India A hockey teams today left the country to take part in the Australian Hockey League, beginning on September 28 in Perth. The league will see 10 teams, including defending champions Victoria, fight for top honours.
The men’s India A team was based at Sports Authority of India’s Bengaluru center while the women’s team trained at the SAI Centre in Bhopal as part of their preparations for the Australian challenge.
The men’s India A team led by goalkeeper Vikas Dahiya had showings in recent tournaments. The team comprises several players from the Indian side that won the 2016 Junior World Cup in Lucknow.
“I think we have a very good mix of players with many of us who have played together for more than four years. There is a great understanding among the players and we have undergone good preparations for the challenge in Australia. The teams we will be playing are quite strong with players of national repute but we are geared up for a good show,” Dahiya said.
He said a good performance in this tournament can help grab the attention of national selectors ahead of the all- important Men’s Hockey World League Final in Bhubaneswar in December.
“With the development squad, the player pool is much larger and there is scope for every player to showcase their abilities. A good performance in AHL will help players get a call-up for the men’s squad. The competition within our team is healthy and each one will undoubtedly give more than their 100 per cent,” said Dahiya.
Meanwhile, 19-year-old Preeti Dubey, skipper of the women’s India A team said that the AHL will be a good stepping stone for young and upcoming players.
“Apart from four or five of us in this team, not many girls have had strong international exposure. Considering this is the first time that a women’s team from India is being sent for the AHL, there is a lot of excitement among the players,” said Preeti, who had a good outing for the senior side at the Hockey World League Semi-Final recently.
For the women, the AHL will be a platform to test their abilities against a strong set of opponents in tough Australian conditions.
“The Australians play fast and attacking hockey. While our aim is to perform well in all departments, the AHL will be a very good platform for most of us to understand the demands of fast-paced international hockey.
“Moving forward, this experience will definitely help us in other international tournaments and we are looking forward to this challenge,” Preeti added.
The men’s India A team will begin their campaign against Western Australia on September 29 while the women will take on Victoria in their first match on the same day. (AGENCIES)
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