India vs Australia: Indian bowlers need to consistently hit fuller lengths to succeed Down Under, says former bowling coach

Ever since taking over the captaincy Virat Kohli has made it perceptible that one of the team’s major goals is to take 20 wickets. However, recent statistics indicate that Indian bowlers need to do something drastically different to achieve their objectives.

In the last nine Test matches in Australia, India has failed to take all 20 wickets. Kohli has not been the captain in all of them, but in the two Tests he captain in the 2014/15 series, his much-hyped fast bowling cartel failed to take the 20 wickets on both occasions.

Australian pitches have been a graveyard for international bowlers in recent times and apart from South Africa, not many have succeeded to take roll over the hosts batting twice in a Test match. Only three times in the past 25 matches have teams managed to take all 20 Australian wickets. India got a taste of the harsh reality in the tour match in Sydney earlier this week when it took their attack 151 overs to bowl out the inexperienced CA XI batting unit.

So how do fast bowlers take 20 wickets on the benign Australian pitches? Former Indian bowling coach, Joe Dawes, who worked with the Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Umesh Yadav during his two and half years tenure with the Indian team offer a few words of advice.

“It is about locking into the good areas and building up the pressure. It sounds cliché, but just look at how South African bowlers bowled in the recently-concluded ODI series, be patient and let the batsmen do something different. Hopefully, they leave a little more in the wickets than these flat unconducive pitches that we have had over the last five years.” Dawes told Firstpost.

Dawes like many believes this is India’s best chance to win a series Down Under and felt the experience of playing in England and South Africa over the past 12 months will help the Indian bowlers in terms of finding the right length for the Australian pitches.

“When I was coach we spoke a lot about hitting that knee roll length and top of off-stump. Ishant is the tallest of the guys, it is a bigger challenge for him especially on the bouncier tracks. You need to be a lot fuller here than back in India or even in England and that takes time,” said the 48-year old.

“It is an adjustment to what you do normally in India and it’s about repetition. Then it is about confidence to hit that yard fuller, but still hit the pitch hard, the problems that the bowlers face here is when you search for that fuller length you end up floating it up there and that (to perfect it) takes confidence and practice.”

Of the current lot none of the Indian bowler’s average below 30. Shami has taken 15 wickets at 36, Ishant has taken 20 wickets at 62, Umesh has taken 25 wickets at 44 while Jasprit Bumrah is yet to play a Test in Australia.

Asked if a technical adjustment was needed for the bowlers to hit that fuller length Dawes said “It is a personal thing, varies from bowler to bowler, they will know how to do it or what works for them. It is a slight variance in your release position and that depends if you are a feel bowler or just looking at a spot and making that adjustment and then it’s about being able to concentrate for those six balls of an over and build that pressure. It won’t swing or seam, so it is about repetition and fighting fatigue to have that concentration.”

According to Dawes if India is to break the jinx in Australia, the Indian bowlers need to the job collectively. He cited how all four Australian bowlers took over 20 wickets in the Ashes last summer as an example of how to work as a unit.

The former Indian bowling coach also felt it Kohli’s positive frame of mind is certain to help the fast bowlers.

“It’s about bowling in partnerships and when the pressure if off from the other end then good players will sit back on one bowler. This has usually been Ishant. It is about belief and most countries are lacking that belief. Virat will lead that team well and he is one guy that will give the bowlers a belief.”

Dawes believes India will also benefit from not having to start a Test series at the Gabba. The former bowling coach felt it will be easier for the Indian bowlers to adapt to the Adelaide Oval pitch rather than any other track in Australia.

“I would think it would suit India in terms of finding that right length. It is very rare now that the nets in the country are identical to the center. Adelaide is probably one of the better places where the practice facilities are probably the best in the world. So you are not going to get a better lead up than the Adelaide nets.”

One delivery Dawes doesn’t want the Indian bowlers to waste is the short ball.

“Bouncer is a good weapon here, but you need to get it at the right height. It is cliché but that is the truth if you bowl one and if it sits up you will get clobbered. It can be a good ball, but it needs to be used diligently. "