Published: Jul 07, 2013, 08:20 PM (IST)
Edited: Jul 07, 2013, 08:20 PM (IST)
Darren Lehmann said that the team management is close to deciding the final XI for the first Test against England on July 10 © AFP
London: Jul 7, 2013
Australia coach Darren Lehmann wants his batsmen to learn lessons from the whitewash against India earlier this year, ahead of the Ashes starting on July 10 at Trent Bridge.
Lehmann who replaced Mickey Arthur on June 24 admitted that Australian batsmen had failed against spinners in the sub-continent.
“We didn’t play the Indian spinners well in the sub-continent. Full stop. We have done a lot of work on that and we are not hiding from that,” he said.
“We have got to learn from that experience and that is what we want to bring to the table — how we want to play against certain types of bowlers. From that point of view, we are looking at all batting options,” reports NDTV.
Australia have not yet disclosed the composition for the first Test against England. Lehmann said, “We are very close to deciding on our side for the first Test. And no, I can’t tell you who all are in.
“You look at the opposition and then you pick the best 11. This can be different from Test-to-Test. But for us, it’s a case of picking the best side.”
A clear objective that Lehmann did mention though was getting centuries from batsmen through the course of the Ashes. “We obviously want a hundred every game. Two, perhaps even three (in an innings) would be great.
“I do not think we have made many hundreds as a batting unit in a long period of time. We, as a team, need to make a lot of hundreds and that will make the job of our bowlers a lot easier.”
