Melbourne: Australian opener David Warner foresees Indian cricketers struggling to adapt to conditions here during the upcoming Test series and feels the longer they are kept out on the field, “the harder it will be for them mentally.”
“You look at their line-up and you can think ‘oh how are we going to get these guys out’. But we know when they’re in Australia, the wickets are different, and we think their mental approach is a bit different to what it is when they’re in India,” Warner told ‘ESPNcricinfo’.
“We think they automatically know they’re going to win series in India because the wickets turn and it is all in their favour. And it is probably similar to when they come out here, we think the bouncy wickets, they might not be able to adapt to it,” he added.
Warner, however, conceded that the quality of India’s batting line-up is such that, they are expected to score big no matter what the conditions are like.
“They’re one of the best line-ups in the world, and capable of scoring big runs on the wickets we’re producing here. We’ve got to be spot on with our lines and lengths with our quicks, and when we’re batting we need to put on as many runs as we can…I reckon we’re in for a good series,” he said.
Warner said the key lies in exhausting them on the field.
“I definitely think the longer we keep them out there (in the field) the harder it’ll be for them, mentally as well,” he said.
“We know a couple of their players don’t like being out in the field for too long and their fast bowlers are under injury clouds as well.
“So the more overs we can get out of them, the better for us going into the second innings and also the upcoming Tests. If we can do our damage early in the series it’ll hold us in good stead for the following three,” Warner added.
Talking about his own game, Warner said he has learnt to put a premium on his wicket now.
“My mental side of the game has changed massively, sometimes in the past I might’ve gone out there and just lost my head or just thrown my wicket away,” he said.
“Now I respect my wicket 100 times more.’ The hard-hitting batsman said he has been working hard on his defence to make himself a better Test player. (PTI)