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India have endured multiple batting collapses on their ongoing tour with the top order unable to deal with the new ball.
Yashasvi Jaiswal (left) and KL Rahul have opened for India in the ongoing BGT. (AP Photo)
Indian batters have been advised to adopt a patient approach in Melbourne after repeated failures against the new ball in their ongoing Australia tour. Barring the second innings in Perth, Indian batting has looked fragile, and Sunil Gavaskar has advised them to focus on dropping anchor during the initial part of their stay when the ball is new and not focus on scoring quick runs.
“…don’t look at a scoreboard. Just look at the clock and just get there. That’s the thing that this is where I want to be at lunch. And then because it gives you a little time to settle down, it also gives you a sense of what the pitch is,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
Gavaskar feels that since young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has been getting out quite early, KL Rahul may opt to face the first ball.
…because he’s (Jaiswal) got out now twice in the first innings within three deliveries, first ball in Adelaide, second ball over here (Brisbane), maybe Rahul takes the first ball,” he said.
Australia batting legend Matthew Hayden feels that Indian batters look to be in some kind of urgency. Citing the example of Nathan McSweeney, Hayden said while the newcomer hasn’t dazzled but has shown respect to the new ball.
“I just feel at the moment that there’s an urgency around India’s batting,” Hayden said. “Technically find a way to get through the new ball. Try to find a way to stay and remain at the crease. Nathan McSweeney hasn’t set this series alight but what he has done is resisted the urge to get out early. Usman Khawaja is a bit the same. And that’s Australian conditions. It’s a new ball wicket. Melbourne will be no different, nor Sydney.”
Former India allrounder and batting coach Sanjay Bangar thinks Rohit Sharma’s men can take a cue from Australian strategy to deal with the threat of Jasprit Bumrah.
“I think at times you also have to look at what the opposition is doing better. Now after their first innings loss or poor performance against the Indian bowlers, the Australian team thought that let us see through (Jasprit) Bumrah and that’s where you could see the clear game plan working in the Adelaide Test wherein McSweeney and (Marnus) Labuschagne played out a crucial session so that their middle order can come in and cash in and that allowed Travis Head to play with a lot of freedom,” Bangar said.
“That is something that the Indian top order should look, they should sort of start talking in the lines of ‘Hey, let’s try and get (Pat) Cummins to bowl the fourth spell…Do they really have that sort of decisiveness to rattle us with the older ball?’.
“…those are the challenges that you have to give as a batting group to one another and try and get out of this rut because in four innings out of the five on this series, we’ve seen the same story happening again,” he added.
The five-match series is currently level at one-all and the fourth Test starts from Thursday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
