Shane Watson, Australia’s former all-rounder has given a great piece of advice to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
He says that Australia should look to play with a straight bat and play more backfoot shots.
This will help the team survive India’s scare and also give them the upper hand in the upcoming series.
Watson has cited his experience from international cricket that can help Australia in the series.
He tried to be a different player when he came to India.
But, he became a master of the craft and then was able to play India’s bowlers with ease.
Says Watson,
Using a straight bat to be able to hit off the back foot through the off side or the leg side. I wish I had got that through my head and then developed that instinct earlier because it’s much lower risk. All the good players, especially from India, very rarely do they use cross-bat shots, especially a pull shot. They’ll hit it with a straight bat to be able to hit it through the leg side.
Adding further, Watson says,
One thing I didn’t really do [in India] was just accept what I had at that moment in time, instead of trying to be someone else. I was thinking, ‘Should I use my feet this time to get out and cover the ball from spinning or should I sit deep in the crease’, instead of going, ‘Well this is what I’ve got right now, and this is the best way for me to try and have success.’
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Watson feels Jadeja can be a handful for the Aussies during the series
With the return of Ravindra Jadeja to the Indian squad, Watson feels that he can be a massive roadblock for Australia.
However, he has given tips on how to tackle the left-arm spinner during the series.
Facing him when the ball is turning compared to when the ball is not turning is just chalk and cheese. It’s like you’re facing a different bowler when the ball is turning because he’s flatter, he’s faster, he’s accurate all the time. He’s always at the stumps. One will turn or one will skid through. He’s very hard to be able to work through as a right-hander, to find a method that’s going to not just survive but also score runs.
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