Tim Paine is under the pump having lost the first Test in Adelaide and he knows it will be virtually impossible to avoid series defeat if India pull off their second win here at the Optus Stadium. Without undermining the challenge, the Australia captain exuded a quiet confidence after his team’s training session which saw him work out with former skipper and fellow Tasmanian Ricky Ponting. Excerpts.
On the challenge for batsmen or bowlers:
I think it will be (challenging for) both. I know India have a few players (ruled) out but whatever team they put on the field, will be coming hard tomorrow. A bit of sniff of something special that they have never done before in Australia. We know it’s going to be another hard-fought and a hugely competitive Test and a challenge for our whole group and not just our batters or bowlers. It will take all eleven for us.
On Ponting’s help at ‘nets’:
He is always in and around our group for the last six-eight months. He is working for channel 7 so he is around the venues and a lot of things we are trying to do is get our ex-players back and he is one of them we are trying to tap into. Him in particular, he makes our batting group walk a bit taller in confidence. So, we are talking to him as a group.
On Aaron Finch approach:
We encourage all our players to back their strengths. Finch has been successful doing that in international cricket. He has played well in the UAE but he is just one score away like anyone else to get more self-belief at the Test level that he already has at T20 or ODI level. Finch is no different than any other player and you are not going to succeed unless you back your strengths. Finch knows the best way that he goes about his batting and we have to keep him on track to make sure he keeps trying to do that. If he does that, he will come good for us.
On Mitchell Starc’s form:
There was no doubt about not playing (him). His criticism has been pretty unfair. At Adelaide, barring 2-3 overs where his radar went wrong, he bowled pretty well. He is getting close to his best again and swung the ball in Adelaide which he didn’t do in the UAE. He will do it in Perth with conditions out there and one thing I know about him (is) when he cops a bit of criticism, he takes it a bit personally. So, he will go out there pumped and we know what he can produce. We have no doubt that he is the best and we are proud to have him in our team.
DH News Service