Training in Dubai not enough to prepare Australia for Indian spinners: Ian Chappell
Mumbai: Former Australia captain Ian Chappell believes that Australia are ill-equipped to tackle the spin-friendly conditions in India.
Chappell believes that overseas batsmen do not really benefit from playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL), as India keep inflicting big defeats upon the foreign teams in home conditions.
“In theory, overseas players should be more comfortable playing in India rather than becoming increasingly estranged,” Chappell wrote in his column in ESPNCricinfo.
“However, it seems that lessons learned playing T20 bear no relationship to performing in the Test arena. It could also be that Indian teams these days are stronger than those of the past.”
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The fact that India have lost only one Test series at home (against England in 2012/13) means that the visiting sides have not had the adequate armoury to do well in the subcontinent conditions.
“There is no doubt India have a strong batting line-up, but that has been the case for more than two decades,” wrote Chappell. “Since the advent of the IPL, India's fielding (apart from slip catching) and athleticism have improved greatly.”
India have been completely dominant at home over the course of the last season, completing a 3-0 whitewash of New Zealand, followed by a 3-2 ODI series win against the Kiwis.
While a five-match Test series against England was tipped to test the Virat Kohli-led side to the hilt, India made short work of the Three Lions, trouncing them 4-0. They later went on to claim the ODI and T20 international series 2-1 each.
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Australia have sent their squad to Dubai for intensive training of playing under spin-friendly conditions. Some of their players have also been reportedly practicing on special spin-friendly pitches in Brisbane.
However, Chappell does not believe that such exercises will help the side from Down Under do well under the tough conditions in India.
“All these well-intentioned endeavours may help a little, but in some cases they could hinder,” he wrote.
Rather, Chappell believes that the art of playing spin bowling needs to be learnt from a very early age, rather than in training camps.
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“Learning to play spin bowling efficiently starts at a young age, and for someone who is a little unsure, a concentrated stint on turning pitches could lead to confusion,” wrote Chappell. “At the very least, it might result in a player formulating a plan that he discovers doesn't work under match conditions and he is then left floundering.”
Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden is someone, who had made a name for himself by being one of the few overseas batsmen to have fared well in Indian conditions.
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Hayden had said to cricket.com.au last month, that his affinity to play the sweep shot is something that made him successful in the subcontinent.
However, Chappell believes that coming out with a definite plan to sweep the Indian spinners in home conditions could turnout to be more detrimental.
“There is an obsession with sweeping, which in all but rare cases is not the way to dominate good spinners who are well captained,” wrote Chappell. “Combating good spinners is about learning the lesson of quick, decisive footwork at a young age, rather than cramming for a difficult exam at the last minute.”
