Former Australia skipper Steve Smith says his staff is healthier off coaching by itself fairly than taking part in tour video games on “irrelevant” Indian pitches forward of the four-Test Border-Gavaskar collection.
Australia have determined to not play a single tour sport in India throughout the month-long Test collection, primarily as a result of hosts serving up inexperienced tops for observe matches and spinning tracks for the precise video games.
Smith, who gained the nation’s finest males’s participant award for the fourth time in his profession on Monday, mentioned nets periods would profit his facet greater than the tour video games.
The 18-member squad, led by Pat Cummins, had a pre-series camp on spin-friendly tracks in Sydney and can have a week-long stint in Bengaluru earlier than the primary Test in Nagpur from February 9.
“We normally have two tour games over in England. This time we don’t have a tour game in India,” Smith was quoted as saying by news.com.au on Monday forward of the staff’s departure to India.
“The last time we went (to India) I’m pretty sure we got served up a green top (to practice on) and it was sort of irrelevant. Hopefully, we get really good training facilities where the ball is likely to do what it’s likely to do out in the middle, and we can get our practice in,” mentioned Smith, who beat Travis Head and David Warner to win the Allan Border medal on Monday.
Australia have been criticised for not together with tour video games, that are an integral a part of an extended collection, of their itinerary. But Smith mentioned rigorous nets periods will assist spinners practice higher.
“We’re better off having our own nets and getting spinners in and bowling as much as they can.” Smith, whose facet had misplaced the collection 1-2 when it toured India in 2017, indicated a whole lot of considering had into the choice.
“We’ll wait and see when we hit the ground. I think we’ve made the right decision to not play a tour match. Like I said, last time they dished up a green top for us (in a tour game) and we barely faced any spin, so it’s kind of irrelevant.” The Australians had a coaching session in Sydney final week on pitches that had important cracks to copy Indian circumstances.
“It’s (the Test series in India) certainly huge. I don’t know if it’s (winning in India) the final frontier. I’ve never won there, I’ve been there twice (for Tests), it’s always difficult playing there. We’ve got some challenges in front of us, but the guys are ready for it,” added Smith.
Source web site: sportstar.thehindu.com
