‘Our batsmen can read Indian spinners’

Australian vice-captain David Warner yesterday dismissed the suggestions that his team is not reading India’s spinners on the current tour. Australian batsmen struggled to pick the spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav as in the first ODI in Chennai, chinaman Kuldeep returned with 2/33 while leg-spinner Chahal scalped three wickets for 30 runs. In the second match in Kolkata, Kuldeep (3/54) took a hat-trick and Chahal chipped in with two wickets.
“I find that the players can read the spinners. And that it’s the odd one or two that when they can’t see the seam, then the players react off the wicket and that’s probably the odd one here or there,” Warner told reporters ahead of the third ODI in Indore today.
“At the end of the day, you have to have a game plan against spin — whether or not to hit down the ground or sweep the ball. But when you’re losing wickets in clumps, you become tentative. So you have to apply that pressure (early). If you get off to a good start and the spinners come on, it’s a different game then. It’s about the tempo of the game, and the situation of the game and I feel if we were in a different position, you’ll see a different mode against the spinners,” he added.
On the injury to opener Aaron Finch, Warner said its good to see him at the nets and the conditions here will suit his style of play. “He is a very good batter. And he has played a lot of cricket for us over the past couple of years. He’s got a lot of experience and, for us at the top of the order, he brings a lot of aggression. It’s good signs to see him back in the nets and he’s doing everything he possibly can to be fit for this game,” Warner said.
On a 10-match overseas losing streak, the Steve Smith-led side will have their task cut out and face a must-win situation on today to keep their hopes of winning the series.
On the other hand, India are currently on an eight-match winning run, and hold an upper hand at Indore, where the hosts have a 100% record, having won all four matches so far.
“I think what you have to realise is we were world champions with a different team. The team that we had when we won the World Cup was totally different,” Warner said.
“There was a totally different dynamic. The team has probably chopped and changed a little bit since then and it’s about the players putting numbers on the board and playing to the best of their ability,” he added.
good Aussies are not picking Kuldeep, Chahal: Rahane
Meanwhile, Indian opener Ajinkya Rahane praised spin pair Chahal and Kuldeep and said it is good that Australian batsmen are not picking them. “This is a good sign that they were not able to pick both of them.
Both are quality spinners and also did well in the domestic circuit. In ODIs its important to pick wickets in the middle overs and both guys are doing the same thing without leaking much runs. So its good to have them,” Rahane said.
When asked about the possible return of the first-choice opener Shikhar Dhawan to the squad in the fourth match, Rahane said he will try and give his best for the team without thinking about the future. Dhawan requested the BCCI to relieve him for the first three ODIs as he wanted to be with his ill wife. So, in his absence, Rahane opened the innings with Rohit Sharma in the first two ODIs.
“See, I don’t think about the future. I always give my best whenever I get an opportunity and that’s what matters the most. Also, I always think about staying in present and we all don’t know what will happen in the future. For me, the best thing is to stick to my game plan, back myself, give my best whenever I get a chance and contribute to the team,” Rahane, who is in the team as the third-choice opener, said.
“When Shikhar returns, we all don’t know what is going to happen. But, at the moment, for me, it’s important to give my best for my team,” he added.