"Still wouldn't have changed what we did leading in" - Andrew McDonald defends preparations for India tour
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald has asserted that they were well prepared for the Test series in India despite the results not going their way. However, the former Test cricketer opined that Australia failed to implement their proven methods on Day 3 of the second Test in Delhi.
Australia's hopes of regaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy went up in smoke as they lost nine wickets in a session on the third day of the Delhi Test. India finished the game by chasing a target of just 115 in the second session to take a 2-0 lead.
Andrew McDonald underlined that Australia's preparations were on point, as evidenced by their position at the end of Day 2. The Aussies notably led by 62 runs with nine wickets in hand going into Day 3.
However, McDonald conceded that their plans didn't come together the next day. As quoted by Perth Now, he said:
"I still wouldn't have changed what we did leading in, there's no doubt about that. I think they had really good preparation in Bangalore, so there's not any excuses.
"At the end of Day 2, if you said our preparation was good, you'd probably have a different slant on it, but within an hour then people start to critique what happened in the past."
The Australian head coach added:
"I don't think that had a great bearing on what happened in that hour, we were prepared for that, and day three, as well as we could have been and we failed under the examination of India."
Aussie captain Pat Cummins stated in his post-match press conference that the players moved away from their methods, lamenting the cross-batted shots. He also rued their inability to take advantage from a position of dominance.
"Our methods are going to be critiqued, and rightfully so" - Andrew McDonald
Andrew McDonald added that Australia deserved criticism for the way they went about their business on Day 3 in Delhi and felt they ought to be better than that:
"Our methods are going to be critiqued, and rightfully so. There were some people who went clearly away from the game plan that made them successful over a period of time and that's for us to own as a collective.
"We've got to be better than that, that's the bottom line, we've got to own it and we are not here to shy away from the fact that wasn't good enough."
The tourists are likely to make multiple changes for the third Test in Indore, with Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc in the frame for selection.