CHENNAI: With three centuries in 10 Tests, Joe Burns has cemented his place as David Warner’s opening partner in the talent-rich Australian side, but the 26-year-old Queenslander’s journey has been far from comfortable. Burns had to work his way back to regain the baggy green after being dropped from the squad in early 2015 despite scoring a pair of half-centuries in his second Test appearance against India in Sydney.
And it was his trip to India with the Australia ‘A’ squad in August last year that persuaded Cricket Australia to pick him again. His stellar performance — 269 runs in four matches — in a triangular series involving the hosts and South Africa ‘A’ in Chennai was so impressive that a call-up for the England series became inevitable. The stylish opener, who currently trains at MRF Pace Foundation here to get used to the conditions in the sub-continent before Australia’s forthcoming tour of Sri Lanka, said playing in India helped him evolve as a batsman. “I love coming to India mainly because of the tough challenge it poses to the visiting cricketers. You need to have different skill sets to excel on turning tracks and it’s important to develop different aspects of my game,” said Burns who is also eager to have a taste of the IPL.
Australians have an insatiable appetite to master the conditions in the sub-continent and the appointment of former India all-rounder S. Sriram as a consultant has helped them find their feet on spinner-friendly surfaces. Burns said Sriram is a great teacher. “He makes learning easy. Sri maintains a good relationship with all players. Having someone like him in the dressing room instills a lot of confidence in the team,” said Burns.
Burns, who starred in Australia’s most recent Test against New Zealand with scores of 170 and 65, said it’s foolish not to learn anything when Warner is batting beautifully at the other end. “He has been consistent in all three formats and it’s a testament to his hard work and the way he tackles situations. We are good friends off the field and it certainly helps,” he added.
Burns said Australia have great leaders in Steve Smith and coach Darren Lehmann. “Our coaches and other support staff have a wealth of experience. That’s why we are No.1 in the world,” he said.
As someone who was part of the historic day/night Test held at Adelaide last year, Burns said the pink ball has to improve as a product and it’s crucial that India start embracing the new concept. “If India come on board, the development of the ball will be faster. Pink ball will be more suitable on slower wickets. Batsmen, at times, may find it hard to spot the seam. So facing spinners would be interesting,” he said.
