Australia’s batting coach Michael Di Venuto has defended the team’s plans in India but admits several players deviated from what they do best under intense pressure.
The tourists are coming to terms with crumbling twice during the first two Tests to hand India an unbeatable 2-0 series lead in the Border-Gavaskar series.
Australia were in a winning position entering day three of the second Test in Delhi, but the match had been lost by tea after an all-time horrific batting collapse.
How Australia lost 9-48 in 90 minutes when they had a lead of 86 in the Indian capital amid a flurry of poorly chosen sweep shots will be discussed for generations.
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“The plans certainly weren’t wrong, our plans were good, but if people go away from their plans they get in trouble as we saw,” Di Venuto said.
Marnus Labuschagne of Australia is bowled by Ravindra Jadeja of India. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
“I think if we look back at the position we were in at 2-85 executing our plans very well in that second innings and ahead of the game and the wheels fell off after that.
“Guys under pressure moved away from their plans of what worked and you pay the consequence in this country.
“Batting is pretty similar analogy I think, you’ve got to swim between the flags in this country, if you go outside the flags and your game plan you are going to get in trouble.
“It was frenetic, it was panic, you saw exactly what we saw on the balcony.”
Former Australia great Matthew Hayden has put his hand up to help the current group after the success he had batting in India during the famous 2001 tour.
Hayden is working as a commentator during the blockbuster series and the former master blaster colourfully brought a broom out to the centre pitch after the second Test finished to demonstrate how not to play spin in India.
The 51-year-old said he had moved on from any bitterness towards the current Australian team after great mate Justin Langer was sacked as coach.
“It’s got zero relevance,” Hayden told The Age. “I’m so far removed from the process of how that went on.
“One hundred per cent, at any time of the day or night, it is a given that myself – and I’m sure I speak for anyone else that I represent that would have that kind of influence – would 100 per cent be in.
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