BENGALURU: After India’s batting frailties were brutally exposed in a 3-0 home series defeat by New Zealand, captain Rohit Sharma said it was important that his players get in the right frame of mind for what promises to be a challenging tour of Australia.

The Black Caps became the first team to whitewash India at home in a series featuring three or more tests after the hosts faltered while chasing 147 in Mumbai on Sunday.

After being dismissed for 46 and 156 in Bengaluru and Pune, the latest capitulation left Indian great Sachin Tendulkar wondering whe­ther it was just poor shot selection that let them down or if they lacked preparation and match practice.

India’s batters must now prepare for the switch from the turning tracks on home soil to the pace and bounce of Australian pitches, with the opening test in Perth looming on Nov. 22.

“We do talk a lot about the game but sitting with every individual and telling them what needs to be done or how they need to get their mindset right is going to be challenging,” Sharma told reporters. “They come with a certain mindset, certain thinking about their own games. It has given them success in the past. But we all understand Australia is going to be a different ball game.”

The 37-year-old added that it would be crucial to create the right atmosphere for those players who have not yet experienced the intensity of a test in Australia.

“For the young players who hav­en’t been there before, it’ll be important to create an environment where they are comfortable and aren’t intimidated by where they’re playing and who they’re playing against,” he said. “It’s important that from our side, we keep telling them that it’s another place to play cricket.”

India will prepare for the series with three days of match simulations after scrapping a practice game.

“We’ll be training at WACA, which is close to Optus (Perth Stadium) where you have that bounce and carry,” added Sharma, who said he is still unsure about playing the first match due to personal reasons. “Hopefully, we can use the three days perfectly and maximise how much ever we can from our point of view.”

India, who beat Australia away in 2018-19 and 2020-21, play five matches Down Under this time around and need to win four of them to reach a third successive World Test Championship final next year.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2024