Published: Aug 06, 2017, 09:07 PM (IST)
Edited: Aug 06, 2017, 09:07 PM (IST)
Australia are scheduled to tour Bangladesh later this month for a two-match Test series. The preparations are in full swing in the subcontinental country ever since CA-ACA dispute got resolved; thereby giving green signal to the tour. Hosts are sweating it out in the nets and their batting consultant, Mark O’ Neill, wants to make sure Bangladesh get their basics right and put a price on their scalp while donning the white jersey.
“It’s hard to leave a permanent impression working for only a month. I’m trying to work on tiny things. It’s actually like trials. It’s like I have applied for a job but before the Test, I have been doing all the works. I’m trying to prepare them for a Test. I’m trying to ensure that boys understand the price of their wicket and try not to play a bad shot even in the nets. I told them to focus on playing in a straight bat, emphasising on timing and weight transfer rather than playing odd shot. The basic thing about batting in Test cricket is patience. The basic thing is to stay steady in your strength, and not being in the position of another’s strength. Belief in yourself is important”, O’Neill was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
O’Neill also spoke about the team’s lower order and how vital it is for them to contribute. “One of the issues of lower order batsmen is that, as a bowler, they do not get enough time to bat. They don’t even get frequent opportunities in nets. But both as a player and coach, I have seen many times that the team is winning when the lower order batsmen survive and contribute for the team. To get something from them, you have to pay more attention to them, give more time and batting opportunities to them in practice. They should be encouraged to play according to their own strengths and play a role of giving back the strike at the other hand.”
O’Neill brushed aside any concerns regarding technique despite some of the batsmen not having enjoyed good outings in the recent past. “I do not see any problem with his technique (Soumya Sarkar). Not only him but also the other batmen in the team are also very good just like other batsmen of the world. Most of the time he plays with the middle bat. He can hit anywhere he likes. The matter is psychological, they have to believe that they are world-class. If they are confident of their abilities then Australia will be tested a lot in the upcoming series.
“If you get a ball to hit then you will have to hit it. I do not want to change anyone’s batting technique as a batting coach in any way. My job is to tell them what they can do consistently without taking too many risks and not to play bad shots”, concluded O’Neill.
