CHENNAI: Well before the Australians landed in Mumbai for the upcoming four-Test series, Glenn McGrath had cautioned that India should not take them lightly. He felt Australia were a better side than England, and expressed confidence that Mitchell Starc would trouble India.
The legendary pacer also said that like in the England series, openers would call the shots, and batsmen with the best technique against reverse swing and spin would put their teams in a strong position. Sunil Gavaskar, on the other hand, says temperament is more important than technique.
“I am a firm believer that temperament is more important than technique. You could have the best technique in the world, but if your spirit is fragile, you won’t succeed at the international level,” said Gavaskar.
“Murali Vijay and KL Rahul have both shown good mental make-up so far. If they keep it up, they have long careers ahead of them,” added the legend.
Karun Nair, after his triple hundred against England, failed against Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy, and was later also found wanting in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament. “Karun too has shown good temperament. If he maintains it, he too can shine,” opined the first man to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket.
McGrath believes Australia has a lethal weapon. “Starc is the best left-arm pacer in the world. He would be hungry to have a go at the Indians. It boils down to how quickly he gets to reverse the ball in Indian conditions. If he does it consistently, the Indian openers and top order will be in for some trouble.”
Many former cricketers feel this series will be a test of technique for Vijay and Rahul. For the latter, last year’s IPL was a turning point, when he shone for Royal Challengers Bangalore.
“Rahul’s transformation happened during last year’s IPL. Our team management worked on his shot selection, and we got him to play positively from the word go. This, coupled with his adequate technique, ball sense and timing, helped him play all three formats the same way, and be the player he is now,” felt B Arun, RCB’s assistant coach.
After his century against Bangladesh, Vijay said shot selection and leaving outside off stump helped him rectify mistakes.
His coach at Chemplast, Jayakumar, too agrees that the 32-year-old has ironed out flaws. “Vijay is a player who wants to keep learning. He has improved his technique over the years and evolved as a player. He should come good against Australia,” he opined.
ashok.v@newindianexpress.com