Glenn McGrath offers to assist Australian pacers for India tour

The last time when Australia visited India for a Test series was in 2013 where they were whitewashed comprehensively by the hands of the hosts. Australia return to India in early 2017 for the Border Gavaskar Trophy, where they will be hoping to not repeat the drubbing of the 2013 series. And one man who has offered to help the Australian pacers to understand the conditions in India, and hopefully produce a better show as compared to their last tour, is none other than their legendary fast-bowler, Glenn McGrath.

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"It's probably the toughest place in the world to be a fast bowler," McGrath told AAP on Friday. McGrath has been part of the three out of four Tests that Australia have won on Indian soil since 1970. McGrath is currently in India to coach youngsters at the MRF pace academy, “I'm over in India six weeks a year, working at the MRF Pace Foundation, so I've learnt a lot about the technical side of fast bowling. To bowl in India is something you have to do and get out there and experience and I've had a lot of experience bowling in the sub-continent before my time at the MRF. So I'm always happy to help the boys out wherever I can," the former Australian pacer said.

Australia will be relying on their three quicks Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins when they arrive in India in February next year, and McGrath’s help can provide them with a big boost. McGrath, however, hasn't been approached by Cricket Australia yet to provide his coaching services, "What the future holds for me in coaching, I'm not too sure," he said. "But I'm always happy to give the boys a little bit of advice and chat about what worked for me over the sub-continent. If it works for any of them, brilliant."

McGrath thinks that despite the lack of experience on India soil, Australian pacers have the ability to succeed in Indian conditions."First-class cricket in India, in the Ranji Trophy, they actually do leave a little bit of grass on the wicket. But I can't see that happening in the Test series," he said. "Obviously Australia have struggled against spin in those conditions in the past so I dare say it will be something very similar.

"So Australia will need to come up with a game plan of how our batsmen are going to combat that. That's the biggest issue. Our bowlers, I think they'll still enjoy bowling over there. If you look after the ball, you get good reverse swing."

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Watch Sachin Tendulkar take on Glenn McGrath during the 1999-00 tour to Australia: