Mike Hussey. (Photo Source: Paul Kane – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
Former Australian cricketer and batting icon Mike Hussey has urged the Australian batters to learn from Indian skipper Rohit Sharma’s batting strategy ahead of the third Test against India. The Australian batters have struggled against the Indian spinners, but Hussey is hopeful of an unlikely comeback by the tourists in the upcoming Test in Indore.
The cricketer turned coach Mike Hussey has cited the example of Rohit Sharma to the Australian batters amidst their woes against the Indian spinners. Rohit has arguably been the most effective batter in the series, with 183 runs in the two Tests so far, despite the pitches not favouring the batters.
“Obviously, the Australians can take a leaf out of Rohit Sharma’s book and have a look at the way he has batted so far. The way Rohit has gone about his job is certainly a good way to tackle spin, and score runs in such conditions. The Indian batsmen have grown up playing on such pitches, and so are more used to them. So the focus of the Australian batters should be on gauging how best each one of them can score runs,” Hussey was quoted as saying by the Telegraph.
You do need some luck to succeed in such conditions: Hussey
Hussey maintained that each player has a different batting style, and the batters should stick to their strengths on these testing Indian pitches. He was baffled by Australia’s strategy to stick with the sweep shot in the Delhi Test, which ultimately led to their demise. He also lauded the efforts of middle-order batter Peter Handscomb during the first innings of the second Test in Delhi.
“Each one has a different method of batting. So some should look to hit the boundaries and be more aggressive, while some should look to play the anchor role. Batsmen need to focus on their strengths and the strokes that yield them runs instead of everyone trying one particular shot. Peter Handscomb did a fine job in the first innings but couldn’t fire in the second. You do need some luck to succeed in such conditions,” Hussey added.