Batting coach Graeme Hick eager to overturn Australia's dire record in India

Australia’s mainstays have often been undone by the turning ball

After being appointed batting coach of Australia, former England batsman Graeme Hick has asked their free-flowing batsmen to adopt a more sedate approach if they are to succeed on raging turners in India.

Although home Test series against the likes of South Africa and Pakistan have been scheduled before they embark to India early next year, Australia’s dire record in Asia is getting plenty of attention from the think tank.

Having been brought up on flat pitches with minimal lateral movement, the Aussies struggled to adapt to spin-friendly conditions and consequently find themselves on a nine Test losing streak in the subcontinent.

Hick felt, “At times, maybe the Australian way is to really dominate. In Test cricket, the daily run-rate has increased a lot. Maybe, India is a place where you need a little bit more patience. The teams that have been successful there recently have been guys who have got big runs up front. If one of our top order get in, batting a couple of sessions maybe is not enough.”

He added, “You've got to look to post a big first-innings score and take that responsibility if you get in. That may require a little bit more patience than maybe some of the players would normally play at.  (The) Exciting part, we have not won there (India) for quite a while. I spoke to a couple of players briefly at (the) meeting. They are certainly up for (the) challenge. Definitely, they will give a better account of ourselves than Sri Lanka Test series.”

In the recently completed tour to Sri Lanka, Australia succumbed to the wiles of Rangana Herath who preyed mercilessly on their batsmen’s temperaments on surfaces which continued to deteriorate from the first day. 

The 50-year old asserted, “The mental side of it is huge. You need self-belief. The top players will sort it out for themselves. How they need to change and what they need to do in sub-continent. The mental processes, pre-match batting plans, (the) biggest thing will be (the) belief that they can be successful and coming up with a plan and be successful.”

A prolific run-getter in the County circuit, Hick played 65 Tests for England and scored 3383 runs at an average of 31.32. Having worked with several of Australia’s promising batsmen during his stint as high-performance coach at the Centre of Excellence, he would be hoping to extend those experiences into a more high profile role.