Coach Darren Lehmann has promised cricket fans that the Australian team wants to improve the snail-paced Test over rate.
New captain Steve Smith was fined 60 per cent of his match fee as the Australians fell well short of 90 overs per day during the second Test in Brisbane.
It was the one blight on Smith’s exceptional debut as Australian captain.
Lehmann said the team was “really strong” on speeding up play and bowling 90 overs per day.
“We need to do that, people want to see entertainment,” Lehmann told 5AA.
But former Australian captain and noted cricket commentator Ian Chappell will believe it when he sees it.
He said over rates in Test cricket generally were “abysmal”.
Chappell added it was counter-productive for the fielding team.
“You know (as a fielder) that when the ball is coming on a regular basis, you’re on your toes – you’re ready,” he said.
“(But) how would you like to be a fielder with (England captain) Alastair Cook having five-minute chats with four guys?
“You fall asleep … you go back on your heels and that’s when catches go down, runs are conceded.
“It’s something you should just do because it produces good cricket, if for no other reason.”
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