The former Australian cricketer Dean Jones believes that the present Indian national cricket team can win in any position.
In the last few years, India is dominating in international cricket and that too in every condition. Whether they are playing at home or away, the present Indian team is ruling everywhere.
Since early 2018, India’s international cricket record is very high. In between these times, they significantly won the limited-overs series in South Africa, T20I series in England, Test and ODI series in Australia and ODI series in New Zealand. Moreover, they also won the Nidahas Trophy 2018 and Asia Cup 2018 on the Asian soils in last year.
While India has also lost some international series, they fought very well in those assignments too.
Praising the Indian national cricket team, Dean Jones feels that India can win even their low performed matches. Meanwhile, the former Aussie cricketer further believes that Australia needs to make a vast improvement to win the games.
Dean Jones wrote for TOI on Friday, “For India, [Shikhar] Dhawan hasn’t been doing that well but the fact is that even with players out of form they are still winning and that is a great advantage to have within the team. No matter what position they are in, India believe they can win. Australia have to bring their A-plus game to win whereas India can win with their B-minus game!”
Dean Jones’ advice for the Australian batsmen
Dean Jones has shared this feeling after India claimed a thrilling victory against Australia in Nagpur ODI. The visiting side Australia this time failed to chase the 251 runs target. Though Australia had a good opening start of the 83-run partnership, they fell eight runs short from India’s total.
Dean Jones feels that the Australian batsmen need to rotate their strikes instead of facing many dot balls, especially against the spinners.
He added, “The Australian batsmen must realise that no matter where the ball is pitched from one of the spinners, they must hit targets on the boundary. The boys are just starting to get squeezed, or dotting up as they say Down Under, against the spin of India. The rotation of strike is imperative if they are going to go on to make scores of 300 or more.”
Dean Jones about the Australian bowling
Dean Jones feels happy on the Australian spinners’ performances in Nagpur ODI. The leg-spinner Adam Zampa bagged two wickets as he had the bowling figures of 10-0-62-2. Meanwhile, the off-spinner Nathan Lyon also bowled very well and had the bowling figures of 10-0-42-1.
The former Aussie cricketer also praised Pat Cummins who bowled impressively in that ODI. The right-arm pacer had the bowling figures of 9-2-29-4.
Dean Jones believes Pat Cummins can be useful in the death overs. The former cricketer thinks that the Australian ODI captain Aaron Finch needs to worry more about the middle overs than the death overs.
He wrote, “I’m happy to see Lyon bowl really well; Zampa picked up a couple of wickets in the mids, while Pat Cummins bowled beautifully in the mids too. They need to use him more during this time than at the death. I think Finch needs to worry less about the death and more about the middle and have his best bowlers bowl against India’s best batsmen to get wickets.”
After the ongoing India tour, Australia will play a five-match ODI series against Pakistan in UAE, and then their next assignment will be the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup in England and Wales. Australia will begin their World Cup journey on 1st June against Afghanistan at Bristol.