CHENNAI: AN ‘exciting’ IPL final between the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings, India’s new red-ball era with Shubman Gill and Jasprit Bumrah’s workload for the upcoming test series are few of the things Glenn Mcgrath shared his views on, in an exclusive chat with The New Indian Express.
McGrath, who is the Director of Coaching at the MRF Pace Foundation is in the city to coach players along with head coach M Senthilnathan.
Analysing the IPL final between RCB and PBKS, McGrath stressed on the importance of having a good bowling attack to win titles in the T20 format. “I think that's something commendable and well, that's how you win games isn't it” he began. “You need bowlers as well, more so in Test matches if you're a good bowling side and a good unit in the shortest format of the game it makes a massive difference,'' adds McGrath.
He lauded the performances of Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer in the IPL this season. “Shreyas has been leading by example. Plus he has got Ricky Ponting as a coach. When a senior player performs like he did on Sunday (87 off 41b vs Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2), it naturally helps younger players coming through. So a young team performs well when its captain gives them the confidence to go out and play,” McGrath went on to add. For someone who has won multiple titles for Australia, McGrath believed that whoever maintain high levels of energy at the final will emerge victorious.
“In Punjab’s last game they chased down 203 and I think that will give them the confidence and momentum going in. I know RCB have played well and they've probably had a little bit more of a rest. It depends on the day how you perform not just the power play, but the whole duration of the match.”
McGrath believed that India’s five-match Test series against England starting on June 20 would be tough as they are short on experience with the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. From his observations of new red-ball captain Shubman Gill, McGrath feels that he has traits of a good leader.
"I am keen to see how the team will be led by Gill. I think that he will do a good job as captain. I like the way he goes about it, he is pretty composed,” he added.
He also commented on Gill’s batting records outside India. “That is the next challenge; he will want to go over there and set the standard in England. Batting there is a lot different to batting in India. It will be a challenge for him, but I think that he has got good composure,” the 55-year-old went on to add.
McGrath believes that pacer Jasprit Bumrah looks good while bowling at the moment and insists that his workload be shared by other Indian bowlers.
"Bumrah has not played the long version of the game (for several months now), so India have to use the other bowlers well. In Australia, he was the standout bowler, compared to the others. The key to Bumrah's longevity is how the bowlers around him bowl. If they (other bowlers) bowl longer spells, Bumrah can get a bit more of a rest," he opined.
"In Australia, they over relied on him (Bumrah). He had to bowl more than he wanted. In the end, that is where the injury probably came from. He enjoys that extra responsibility. When he captained India in Perth, he stepped up and enjoyed the challenge. He will enjoy bowling with the Duke ball in English conditions," he signed off.
