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'India is the ultimate challenge': Glenn McGrath reveals huge 'secret' to Australia on how to bowl in Indian wickets
Glenn McGrath spoke about Australia's 2023 tour of India and also revealed how the visitors can succeed in those conditions.
With Australia set to tour India in 2023, former Aussie cricketer Glenn McGrath shared tips for his countrymen on how to face the Rohit Sharma-led side. Speaking to cricket.com, the former pacer said, "Obviously the single biggest challenge for Australia is coming to India, performing well and winning the series. We were lucky enough to do it in 2004. You’ve got to come up with good plans, the batsmen have to learn to adapt on turning pitches and the bowlers have to learn to bowl in those conditions."
Calling it the 'ultimate challenge', he stated, "I think with IPL, a lot of players have been over here (in India) regularly and have hence experienced the conditions. The current Australian team, evident from their showings in Sri Lanka and Pakistan, are starting to get a better understanding of how to play on subcontinent wickets. That being said, India is still the ultimate challenge. I think they’re up for it."
Australia will tour India as part of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2023, and will aim to win the series in a country where they have never won after their 2-1 victory in 2004. McGrath had success in India and in his eight Test matches in the country, he took 33 wickets at an average of 21.3. 14 of his wickets in India came during the 2004-04 series victory.
Revealing 'the secret' to bowl in Indian conditions, McGrath said, "You just need to come up with a plan that works. Pitches in Australia are quicker and bouncier so you can bowl those good areas. The secret is still having control, bowling outside off-stump or just outside. The length will obviously be different so it’s about adapting to the lengths."
"You still will need to look to take wickets with the new ball. Then once it gets softer, you’ll have to ask yourself, ‘how can I stop the opposition from scoring?’. You could probably bowl a bit straighter, have more of a ring-field and make it hard for the batsmen to score. It’s just about having clear plans, but then being able to execute those plans for long periods of time", he further added.
