Need Test mindset to bat well in Indian conditions: Stoinis

BANGALORE : Marcus Stoinis, the Australian cricket team allrounder, has said that it is very difficult to start hitting the big shots immediately in Indian conditions and has called for a Test match-like application in order to set up for the big hits in the latter half of the game.

Speaking in the press conference before the Australian team training session at the M Chinnaswamy stadium, Stoinis said, “I just want to get an understanding of the conditions - sometimes it takes five balls, sometimes it takes 20. I’m not really putting a number on that. It was a bit unrealistic for me to go in there and try and hit the first couple of balls for boundaries when you don’t know the conditions.”

Australia failed to tackle spin yet again in the sub-continent. In the current series, the Australian batsmen have struggled to sometimes pick Chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav and legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal. In addition to the spin conundrum, Steve Smith’s side has also struggled against the swing, discipline and accuracy of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah.

Australia have lost their last 11 out of 13 overseas ODIs and the key factor behind this losing streak has been frequent batting collapses.

In two ODIs where Aus- tralia suffered a dramatic collapse, Stoinis played a lone hand and smashed some big hits to almost take Australia over the line.

During the Auckland ODI against New Zealand, he smashed 146* off 117 balls, including 9 fours and 11 sixes but Australia lost by six runs. In the Kolkata ODI, after Australia collapsed to 148/8, he smashed 62* off 65 balls but Australia lost by 50 runs.

When asked about how he feels to play a lone hand, Stoinis said, “I’m still quite new to those sorts of situations. The only plan is to try and win the game. That’s the way I’m going about it. Not try to win the game from the start, but trying to be there at the end, trying to take the game as deep as possible.”

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Not try to win the game from the start, but trying to be there at the end, trying to take the game as deep as possible. MARCUS STOINIS, On his game-plan