'Australia didn't prepare well enough for the tour,' says Saba Karim
Nathan Lyon getting bowled during Nagpur Test (AP Photo)
Former Indian selector Saba Karim has given his opinion on Australia’s embarrassing loss to India in the Nagpur Test, saying that the visitors should have taken a clue from India from how they prepared themselves for their tours Down Under. Karim specifically highlighted how former captain Virat Kohli did his best to form a pace battery which could do well anywhere in the world.
Without the likes of Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami were crucial in India's historic Test series win in Australia in 2020-21. Even with a team hit by injuries, India won their previous Test series against the Aussies.
"Australia didn't prepare well enough for the tour. Even we used to keep on losing on our tours there. But then once Kohli became the captain, there was a vision in place that we will prepare a pace battery of 4-5 bowlers and groom them to pick wickets on those tracks and that helped us win on both the previous tours," Karim told India News.
He further added that Australia didn’t do enough homework for the series, and were unable to bring quality spinners to the Indian subcontinent.
"They had just begun preparations for the series 1-2 months before the tour. You just can't do that. You had to start the process 1-2 years before and groom your spinners whom you would bring on this tour. Murphy hasn't played a first-class game. Lyon doesn't bowl at the ideal speed to be successful in India. You just can't bring any spinner and hope for a miracle."
India won the first Test in Nagpur by an innings and 132 runs after their bowlers completely demolished Australia’s famed batting line-up. The second Test will be played from 17 to 21 February at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi.
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