As Australia is struggling in the ongoing home four-match Test series against the no.1 Test ranked Indian side, Australian head coach Justin Langer claimed that Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli have become the differences between the two sides in the series.
India has taken the series-safety 2-1 lead after winning the Melbourne Test by 137 runs. Australian head coach feels that the in-form Pujara and Kohli are the differences between the two sides in the series.
Langer said, “At this stage, the difference in the series is Pujara and Kohli, if we’re frank. Pujara averages 53 and Kohli has averaged 46 and got a duck in the second innings. The lesson we learn from that is he just absorbed all our pressure.
“It’s the art of batting, isn’t it? It’s about absorbing pressure. You’ve got so much time in Test cricket, and I guess in the (T20) world we live in, everything is so instant and so quick and talk about strike rates. Our guys are learning that, or hopefully they’re learning that. If they don’t, we’ll keep having performances like we’re having.”
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In the absence of Steven Smith and David Warner, Australian batting is suffering from the lack of experiences in international cricket. As an opener, Aaron Finch has majorly disappointed in this series but Langer still has enough confidence in him.
The head coach said, “He (Finch) is having a bit of a lean run of it although he has got a couple of fifties. He got a 100-run partnership one Test match ago and that set up the whole Test match for us. Finch is a really good player and he is working harder probably than he has ever worked. He has got to somehow recharge his batteries over and over again. It is a great challenge for him at the moment and he will be better I think.”
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Langer is now focusing to win the final Test of the series at Sydney, starting on 3 January 2019, and drew the Test series by 2-2.
He added, “With these guys one of the hardest things about Test cricket is one of the distractions so they are learning on the run actually. We will be collectively better for it. We have just got to make sure we stay in this contest and be great to have a win at the end of it. India have come here determined to win this series, we know that, and we see that in everything they have done since day one. It would be nice for us to send them home drawing the series, not winning it.”
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As the final Test will be played at the spin-friendly track Sydney, the leg-spin all-rounder Marnus Labuschagne has been included in the Test squad. However, talking about the playing XI, Langer claimed that they want to observe the pitch first.
He said, “I love playing at the WACA and I love playing at the Adelaide Oval with a bit of pace and bounce. All the years we have gone to India we have not had too many bouncy wickets, and it usually spins square. But it is also our way in Australia to just produce the best wickets we can.
“We are interested to see what we are going to get in Sydney next week. We are not sure it has been a bit inconsistent. India played a practice game there and it was very flat. In the Shield game there a few weeks ago it was very flat. We certainly hope it is not. In Melbourne the last couple of days were more of a contest and it was because the wicket deteriorated and you want to see a good contest.
“We will definitely have a look at the wicket (before selection decisions). There are lots of discussion about how the wicket is going to be, is it going to spin, is it green, we are not sure yet. Have a look at that and then make some decisions next couple of days. From Australian perspective you have got three of the best fast bowlers in the world and a gun spinner, so you would like to see a bit more bounce.”
