Pleased with his team’s 2-1 lead in the seven-match one-day series – after rain played spoilsport in the last two games – against India, captain George Bailey was in good spirits when he addressed the media ahead of the sixth ODI at the VCA Stadium. “There’s been some really good cricket played and we are looking forward to tomorrow’s game,” he said about the forthcoming game that could decide the fate of the series.
Discussing how his team worked towards adapting to the conditions and took a 2-1 lead, he explained, “We played some really good cricket, I think India have played some really good cricket. The three games so far have been outstanding to watch; they have been thrilling to play in. You are learning every time you step out.”
“Particularly on this tour, we have played at grounds where a lot of us haven’t played at, so we try and get as much information as we can, whether that be training or chatting with guys who have played some IPL cricket here. Our team is playing with a lot of confidence at the moment and that stems from starting the tour really well. We have been pretty consistent with the way we have batted. The guys have been pretty clear in their plans, and probably most importantly, we are very clear in our roles. In the last eight-nine games, we have had a really consistent side, guys know exactly what their role is within the team and they can go out and focus on that with a pretty clear conscience, which is important.”
Speaking about his style of captaincy, he elaborated, “There is a little bit of preparation, mainly in terms of making sure all our guys know what they are going to do and how they are going to play. I like to have all those conversations, particularly with the bowlers because I think they are the ones that can have the most influence on a game. The batters are out there on their own. I am pretty inclusive, I would like to think. We have got a lot of good thinkers in our team, a lot of good ideas, a lot of experience in the team. It’s great to tap into all of that and just gather as much information as you can. Pick the best bits and share it as much as you can.”
So what does he tell the bowlers when batsmen like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and others are attacking them? The Australia skipper replied, “Just to have a clear plan. Certainly at the moment, the way the rules are, it can be really challenging for the bowlers. You got to try and keep a smile on their face. As long as they know they have got a clear plan every time they are bowling the ball (it is fine). There are still going to be some balls that will travel the distance, and that is the nature of the game. The challenge is to be really consistent with their approach mentally, to make sure they have got a plan and to make sure they execute it to the best of their ability. Certainly the group that we have got here at the moment, I will back each and every one of them every time. If they do that long enough, I certainly think they are a very good bowling attack; they can knock over any side in the world.”
The visitors who were perceived to have a weakness against spin – India’s key weapon – have tackled it successfully. Their batsmen have piled on the runs during the series. Talking about their batting, Bailey mentioned, “Certainly in the first few games, we were in a position (to go after the bowling) because we had great opening partnerships. We had a century opening stand, then 70 or 80 in the other game. That just allowed us to have resources deeper into the innings. It allowed us to put a bit more pressure on the bowlers, whether that be the spinners or the quicks. I think that is a simple key or a simple cue for the batting side is that the longer you can keep some of the batsmen in your shed, the more pressure you can put on the bowlers. I think that has been the real key for us, the fact that they have batted really well the whole series.”
While talking about his team’s composition, which is likely to remain unchanged, Bailey said, “Having a couple of games off has freshened up everyone a little bit. I think it is invaluable to be able to pick a side and stick with it. Not just for guys to feel comfortable in the role they are playing, (but also) to play in similar situations from game to game. And I think the more a guy can do that, the more freedom he can play with and he can back himself a bit more, so that he is not going out with the fear of failing and then having his place in jeopardy. He knows he can go out and that he has a few credits in the bank. He knows his teammates will support him. He knows he can go out and just focus on dominating the game or putting in a match-winning performance. As soon as you can have your players in that positive mindset, it really puts you in a strong position. It’s not something you have the opportunity to do every time. But I don’t think it’s a real surprise when you see that sides are doing well and they don’t make many changes; that’s the real key.”
