Mumbai: Australia’s most successful pace bowler Glenn McGrath has some useful advice for Mitchell Starc and Co. as Australia head to India for the four test-match series.
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McGrath was part of the 2004 team which was the last Australian team to win a series in India. The fast bowler, who picked 31 wickets in seven matches he played in India at an average of 19.90 is best placed to guide the Aussie pacers.
"In the sub-continent, you don't have that bounce, you don't have that seam, you don't have that carry,” McGrath was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.
"Okay, how are we going to take wickets?
"The new ball will still carry through quite well, so you're looking to take wickets caught in the slips, caught behind with the new ball,” adviced McGrath.
The former seam bowler also revealed his mindset in the subcontinent. McGrath said that Aussie pacers should be ready to bowl long spells in the middle overs when the bowl won’t do much.
"Then you go through a patch when the ball really does nothing – it's not carrying through, it's not reverse swinging, so then you really have to dot it up (stop the scoring).
"Give them no easy runs, bring in maybe a short mid-wicket, a short cover and just ring the field up. Work on the ball, the wicket's going to be abrasive and after a while it will go reverse swing. As soon as that ball starts reverse swinging, it's a little bit more in favour of the bowler and you can attack a bit more.
"And be prepared to bowl long spells, build pressure and look to take wickets that way. So that's my mindset in the sub-continent," revealed McGrath.
The former cricketer also stressed that the ability to adapt to local conditions is going to be vital in India.
"Ninety nine times out of a hundred it's still hitting the deck, hitting the top of off stump. A lot of people think that must be easy, but it's a slightly different length on every wicket. There's not going to be two wickets where it's just the same length, so you have to adjust to the conditions and that's where I felt I could adjust quite well," added McGrath.
