India vs Australia: Aussie coach comes up with a plan to counter India

Published on: Jan 12, 2020 5:33 pm IST|Updated on: Jan 13, 2020 2:02 pm IST

India vs Australia

The Australian cricket team have arrived in India for the three-match ODI series which starts in Mumbai on Tuesday, January 14, 2020. Australian head coach Justin Langer hasn’t traveled with the side for this tour and assistant coach Andrew McDonald has been promoted to the stand-in coach’s role for the series.

To get the team ready for the challenge against India, McDonald pulled a trick from the bag which can be fruitful for the Aussies during this series.

McDonald’s plan to counter conditions in India

The interim coach asked his players to camp out at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday night to get a better idea of the conditions which they might face when playing the day-night match against India at the venue on Tuesday. McDonald and the Australian side is fully aware of the dew which could come into play during these day-night matches in India.

Australian fast-bowler Kane Richardson said in a candid talk to a reporter that the aim was to train and adjust to the dew factor at Wankhede.

“Andrew McDonald camped out here last night (Saturday) to try and see what time the dew came in. Who knows, everyone is guessing. I think everyone is prepared. We’re going to train today with some wet balls so we can practice that. We’ll just wait and see on game day.”

The idea of practising with wet balls has been used to good effect by a team visiting the sub-continent previously. With McDonald in charge, Australia seems pretty ready for the challenge by Virat Kohli and co.

India’s time for revenge

Last time Australia toured India was in March 2019, for a two-match T20I series and a five-match ODI series. With India being the favourites to clinch both the series’, Aaron Finch and his men shocked the Indian team at home by winning both the series. They whitewashed India in the T20Is and later went on to win the ODI series 3-2.

Richardson who is running for a spot in the playing XI also said “India in India is always the biggest challenge and after what happened last year they will be ready for it. Confidence is up but the home team is always favourite. We are the underdogs”.
After the first match in Mumbai, the two teams will travel to Rajkot for the second match on January 17. The final match will be played on January 19 in Bengaluru.
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