Australia’s head coach Andrew McDonald believes the team’s success in the Indore Test shows that there is a core group of players who are learning what it takes to win in the subcontinent and set the team up for greater success in the future.
Khawaja’s performances here are probably tied: McDonald –
“An hour of chaos” in Delhi, as MacDonald put it, cost Australia the chance to clinch the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but took the chance to freshen up and regroup during the long break before the third Test. He did his best overseas. As a victory they beat India in their own game on a pitch rated “poor” by the ICC.
As a result, Australia have secured their place in the World Test Championship final, during a cycle that also included Test victories in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and now have the chance to level the series in Ahmedabad.
McDonald said – “Usman Khawaja’s performances here are probably tied back to his first experience in the subcontinent, Steve Smith as well.”
McDonald further said –
“Everyone’s journey starts at some point in time on the subcontinent, and I think there’s a core group of players that will come back here more experienced and, in theory, better equipped for the challenges. We’re talking about a series here where we’ve had certain conditions that probably aren’t relatable to any other subcontinent tour over time, so it’s always a different challenge when you do arrive here.”
