Published: Dec 09, 2016, 06:01 PM (IST)
Edited: Dec 09, 2016, 06:06 PM (IST)
Glenn McGrath has offered his services to help Australian fast bowlers during their tour of India. Australia have won just four Tests in India since 1970. McGrath was part of three of those wins and was part of the side that won the 2004 series 2-1. McGrath feels that he can share his experience with the current crop of fast bowlers, which include Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins. Australia have not had the best of time in Tests of late. They suffered a 3-0 whitewash at the hands of Sri Lanka and then followed it up with a 2-1 loss at home against South Africa.
“It’s probably the toughest place in the world to be a fast bowler,” McGrath told AAP. “I’m over in India six weeks a year, working at the MRF Pace Foundation, so I’ve learnt a lot about the technical side of fast bowling. To bowl in India is something you have to do and get out there and experience and I’ve had a lot of experience bowling in the sub-continent before my time at the MRF. So I’m always happy to help the boys out wherever I can,” added the former Aussie fast bowler.
McGrath hopes that Australia sends a side that gives India tough competition and hopes he does not see a repeat of their 2013 4-0 drubbing. “What the future holds for me in coaching, I’m not too sure,” he said.”But I’m always happy to give the boys a little bit of advice and chat about what worked for me over the sub-continent. If it works for any of them, brilliant.”
Despite of India having spin friendly wickets, McGrath believes that the Australian quick bowlers too can thrive on those conditions. “First-class cricket in India, in the Ranji Trophy, they actually do leave a little bit of grass on the wicket. But I can’t see that happening in the Test series,” he said. “Obviously Australia have struggled against spin in those conditions in the past so I dare say it will be something very similar. So Australia will need to come up with a game plan of how our batsmen are going to combat that. That’s the biggest issue. Our bowlers, I think they’ll still enjoy bowling over there. If you look after the ball, you get good reverse swing,” McGrath, who has 563 Test scalps, said.
