Under-fire coach hits out after Delhi debacle

1 year ago 77

Australian manager Andrew McDonald has defended his side's mentation for the India tour, saying helium "wouldn't person changed" the lead-up.

The tourists did not play a azygous warm-up lucifer anterior to the archetypal Test successful Nagpur, and the determination has been enactment nether the microscope aft backmost to backmost defeats wrong 3 days.

Australia believed avoiding lead-up matches would support its players fresher towards the backmost extremity of the four-match series, but the determination has backfired successful spectacular fashion.

Nevertheless, McDonald wasn't prepared to look successful the rear presumption reflector hardly 24 hours aft falling successful an 0-2 hole.

"I inactive wouldn't person changed what we did starring in, there's nary uncertainty astir that," McDonald said connected Monday.

"I deliberation they had truly bully mentation successful Bangalore, truthful that's not immoderate excuses. We beryllium present close present - I deliberation astatine the extremity of time two, if you said our mentation was good, you'd astir apt person a antithetic slant connected it, but wrong an hr past radical commencement to critique what happened successful the past.

"I think, astatine that constituent successful time, that the mentation was truly bully and the mode we're going astir our enactment was good. I don't deliberation that had a large bearing connected what happened successful that hour, we were prepared for that arsenic good arsenic we could person been, and we failed nether the introspection of India."

McDonald's comments came aft erstwhile Test wicketkeeper Ian Healy blasted Australia's preparations.

"Never again archer maine we're not playing a circuit lucifer to begin, astatine slightest two, there's nary shortcuts to Test lucifer success," Healy told SENQ Breakfast connected Monday morning.

Healy suggested that determination would've been aggregate benefits to travel from Australia familiarising itself with Indian conditions, ranging from skipper Pat Cummins' show to that of some the bowlers and batters successful the side.

"The selectors would person known what to do, alternatively than spell with a pre-determined program which goes against signifier lines," helium said connected SEN Breakfast.

"Travis Head is not portion of our program adjacent though he's the astir in-form player, but that program was implicit aft 1 test.

"The skipper won't succumb to Indian chaos and beryllium overmuch much successful command.

"He starts to larn astir the pressures and however this absorption gangs up connected you.

"Playing with 3 spinners and minimal quicks, we've got to get utilized to that."

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