Australian coach Andrew McDonald talks to the media during the Australia press conference in Delhi on February 20, 2023. , Photo Credit: Getty Images
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald left no stone unturned about his team’s surrender in the second innings of the second Test here, saying they “failed the test” from India.
Australia, who looked to be shaping up well for the challenge at stumps on the second day at 61 for one, lost nine wickets for just 48 runs in the second innings and were all out for 113. Taking four wickets, took a 2-0 lead and retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
“There is going to be criticism of our methods and rightly so,” McDonald was quoted as saying on Monday by the Australian Associated Press.
“At the end of the second day, if you said our preparation was good (with Australia at 61/1), you would probably have a different slant on it, but within an hour (on Day 3) then people started criticizing Let’s start with what happened in the past…
“And on the third day, as well as we could have been and we failed India’s test,” said McDonald, who replaced Justin Langer as head coach after Australia’s 4-0 win in the Ashes.
The coach said that as far as he understood, the preparatory camp at the turning track in Bengaluru had provided enough preparation for the spin test.
“I still have no doubts about what I’ve done,” McDonald said Monday.
“I think they (the team) prepared really well in Bangalore, so no excuses,” the coach said.
He also said that some players strayed from their time-tested game plan which resulted in their second humiliating defeat.
“There were some guys who clearly went away from the game plan that has made them successful over time and that’s up to us as a collective. We’ve got to be better than that, that’s the most important thing, we’ve got to do it.” And we’re not here to shy away from the fact that it wasn’t good enough.”
The third Test in Indore from March 1 could see major changes in Australia’s team, especially with fast bowler Mitchell Starc and all-rounder Cameron Green expected to be fit after missing the first two matches.