Australia coach Justin Langer Thursday says he has never seen a batsman concentrate as hard as India’s Test star Cheteshwar Pujara.
India won the four-match Test series 2-1 against Australia with Pujara winning the Man-of-the-Series award with 521 runs, including three hundreds.
Challenge for the bowlers
Speaking for the first time since the visiting team’s maiden Test triumph on Australian soil, Langer said Pujara’s concentration was a challenge for his bowlers.
“I have never seen a batsman watch the ball as closely as he (Pujara) does, and that includes Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. His concentration was a challenge. And we have to keep getting better just like him, all our batsmen and bowlers,” Langer said.
Langer said his bowlers were stretched to the limit in the Test series, especially in Melbourne and Sydney.
“The guys are working very hard and they are going okay. The first innings in Melbourne and Sydney, honestly, sucked the life out of us because when you are on the field for two days, with only one spin bowler, that takes energy out of the group,” he said ahead of the ODI series starting on Saturday here.
“There are new players and new staff for these three games, so that brings new energy to the group,” he said.
Australia will be missing Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins in the ODI series, rested to manage workloads.
“They copped some pretty strong criticism throughout the series. But on two very flat wickets they kept running in hard and having a go and in this instance they were beaten by a brilliant Indian side,” he said.
Langer said the challenge was ever present despite a change in format as the Indian ODI team is just as strong as the Test team. Both sides get down to their respective World Cup preparations with the upcoming series. Australia has made a change to its squad with batsman Ashton Turner coming in for Mitchell Marsh who is suffering from gastroenteritis and is not available for the first ODI.
Australia has recalled off-spinner Nathan Lyon to the ODI squad, and Langer said this was a move keeping the World Cup in mind.
“Lyon’s record in white-ball cricket is very good and he is the best spinner in the world. So it would be a waste of opportunity if we don’t play him, particularly with the World Cup coming up.
“He is also a gun fieldsman. He is nice and fit. I cannot wait to see how he does and he is also excited about it,” Langer said.
