Border-Gavaskar Trophy: How Australia found its feet in the third Test against India
The HinduHow did the Australians manage to turn things around with the bat in the third Test? The Australians, in the lengthy break between the second and third Tests, had burnt the midnight oil to come up with the right strategy against Indian spin. It’s just that the Australia batters, using their feet, played the Indian duo much better than in the earlier Tests. In a conversation with the late Ajit Wadekar, a fine player of spin on treacherous wickets with his left-handed batting, the former India captain said, “On a turning track, the best way to play is off the back-foot.” Wadekar added, “You watch the ball for a longer time, see what it does, and can get runs behind square on both sides apart from forceful shots off the back foot in front of the wicket. The confidence back, the fleet-footed Travis Head and Labuschagne put the pressure right back on the Indian spinners in the second innings.