‘Aus working to get mindset right’
DUBAI: Former Australia opener Michael Slater feels the Tim Paine-led team needs to have confidence that they can end their troubles in Test cricket as they prepare to take on world No 1 India in the first Test at Adelaide.
Slater denied that the the balltampering scandal and subsequent review had created panic in the Australian set-up, backing the team to exploit home conditions.
“I do not think there is panic, there is lack of confidence because Australia have not been winning. The fact is through losses you do not quite believe sometimes. But with Justin Langer as their coach, they will be working to get their mindset right and they will be training hard. I know that about Justin, he has got a great mind,” Slater said on the sidelines of the T10 League in Sharjah.
Slater backed India to emerge winners given the current situation the Australian team is in. “They are not panicking, their confidence is down but I do give India a very, very strong chance of beating Australia for the first time in Australia,” he said.
However, Slater cited example of India’s tour of England and said the visitors will find it tough if the others around Virat Kohli do not perform.
“It always depends on him. He scored a mountain of runs in England but India still lost over there, but it was a competitive series. I think you need the other guys to come to the party as well, just like Australia. Without (Steve) Smith and (David) Warner the others need to score runs. But without Kohli performing, I do not know who will get the big runs for them. Everyone has got to chip in around him,” he said.
Slater backed senior batsmen Usman Khawaja and Aaron Finch to do well in the four-test series.
“Hopefully, Usman is going to do well. Hopefully, Shaun Marsh can do well, but he is getting to the later part of his career. I would like to see someone like Aaron Finch getting an opportunity and do well,” he said.
Slater backed the Australian bowlers to come good against India, adding that big scorers would be tough to predict in this series.
“Obviously, we have got a bowling attack that is really good, if we bowl well, I think we will make the batting really hard for the Indian batsmen, with the extra bounce in Australia. But we still got to score the runs. It is really hard to know who is going to be a big scorer this year, also because Smith and Warner have been the big scorers.
“I see India’s bowling attack as one of the better than they have had for a long time. In Australian conditions, (Josh) Hazlewood, (Mitchell) Starc, (Pat) Cummins and Nathan Lyon — the best offie going around — I will probably have them slightly ahead in the Australian conditions,” he said .
Slater said adapting quickly would be key for the world’s No 1 team. “It takes (time), the bowlers of other countries, particularly when it is flatter and lower, to get the right length. They see bounce and they get a bit too short. If they adjust quickly then the Indian bowling attack is very good,” he added.