MELBOURNE: Australia will have “no excuses” but to bat well, pick up 20 wickets and adapt to the conditions if they desire to beat an in-form Indian team in their own backyard in the upcoming Test series, says vice-captain David Warner.
The Australians may be in high spirits having won last three Tests against Pakistan to win three-match series 3-0, but will head to India next month having lost nine consecutive Tests in Asia and with just one series win there since the late 1960s.
“So for us as a team to take some positives out of that … the challenge is to try and bat longer periods. We’re going to have to take 20 wickets to win the game, simple as that, and we’re going to have to adapt straight away. No excuses,” Warner said.
“Whether it’s batting or bowling and taking catches in the field, we’ve got to be on from ball one and have a plan B if plan A doesn’t work,” he was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au on Sunday.
But it would be easier said than done as the Virat Kohli-led Indian team is unbeaten in their past 18 Tests at home and recently completed a 4-0 series win over England, including two victories by an innings.
Warner, however, they can take heart from England, who were able to show some fight with the bat during their recent series by posting 400 or more in three of the five Tests.
“We just saw the recent series with England and to be brutally honest they played very well,” Warner said. “They batted deep, they got big runs on the board. India just got bigger runs on the board.”