New Delhi, Nov 9
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald has insisted his team plans on sticking to their desired style of play in the ODI series decider at Perth, after suffering a chastening nine-wicket loss to Pakistan at the Adelaide Oval.
Australia will have their task cut out in the series decider as they will miss the services of Pat Cummins, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Marnus Labuschagne. This quintet is set to kickstart their preparations for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series starting in Perth on November 22. "We go to Perth with a clear plan, a clear method. We're committed to the style we want to play. The big thing about that is we've won 16 out of the last 19 games, and we've got some changing personnel within that, but we believe in the style we want to play as a group. We were nowhere near our best. Pakistan controlled the game from the get-go and not enough runs to even think about putting pressure on," McDonald was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au. With Australia's new ODI opening pair of Matt Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk not providing big starts, McDonald acknowledged they are still finding the right balance of opening in the 50-over format. "It's just finding that balance, and we've had great success with the style we want to play at the top of the order to make sure we're putting pressure on opposition bowling units. Sometimes that can work, and over the journey so far it's served us well." "We've got some new personnel at the top as well, but I think Matt Short in England (earlier this year) showed he's up to the task. He hasn't got off to the start he wants in this series, and Jake (Fraser McGurk) is not the finished article either. Everyone thinks he may be the finished article, but he's going on a journey with his career, and we believe he's good enough to play at this level at this point in time. But clearly, there's always going to be some setbacks within that." McDonald signed off by saying Australia is still looking for their best form ahead of next year's Champions Trophy. He cited them going through a similar situation during last year's ODI World Cup in India before lifting the trophy in Ahmedabad. "It's the nature of one-day cricket. We didn't have the greatest prep leading into the World Cup either, and a lot of the things you do tend to come together at the last minute leading into those world events." "Clearly we've got to tune things up for Perth. We've been challenged in different ways and we have to respond. Yes, we're trying to connect between now and the Champions Trophy by having a look at certain things, but we've got a Test summer (against India) we've got to combat through then off to Sri Lanka with a great challenge there."