Smith’s men relieved as winless away run ends
David Saker, the head coach of the Australian cricket team for the India series, has expressed relief after Steve Smith’s side defeated Virat Kohli’s Indian cricket team by 21 runs at the M Chinnaswamy stadium on Thursday.
Prior to the match, Australia had lost 11 out of 13 overseas ODIs and there was pressure on the team as India were gunning for 10 consecutive wins. However, David Warner’s ton and some good death bowling helped them end the overseas jinx.
“It wasn’t one of our great performances. I thought we batted well up to the 43rd over. We did not end well as we thought. We did not bowl well at the start. But we ended up winning which is a relief. The boys are really happy as well that they’ve got someover thing out of it,” Saker said.
Saker stated taking wickets at crucial times was the key in Australia denting India’s progress. “We took wickets at the really important time which was crucial. The game at times was slipping away from us but when it was we took a wicket which put the pressure back on the Indian team. I thought our last ten overs were particularly good.
Adam Zampa was picked in the Chennai ODI and it was in his that Hardik Pandya clouted three consecutive sixes to change the course of the game. After being taken apart by Pandya in Chepauk, Zampa was not selected for the Kolkata and Indore ODIs. After Ashton Agar suffered a fractured finger which ruled him out for the series, Zampa was included in the Bangalore ODI.
Despite once again being hit by Pandya for two big sixes, the wristspinner picked up his wicket to finish with 1/63 from nine overs. Saker said this series was a big learning curve for Zampa.
“We thought Ashton can control the game a little bit better than Adam. But, Zampa is a really good wicket-taker and quite an aggresssive bowler. We thought we wanted someone a little bit more defensive. He came in today and bowled some really good balls,” Saker said.
The game at times was slipping away from us but when it was we took a wicket which put the pressure back on the Indian team.
DAVID SAKER, Oz head coach