Legendary Australian all-rounder Shane Watson believes that the rapid shift from the fast-paced Indian Premier League (IPL) to the rigours of high-level Test cricket with the red ball in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final will be difficult. The WTC Final is all set to be played at The Oval from June 7-11. Australia, led by Pat Cummins, will face off against India, captained by Rohit Sharma, for the coveted Test Mace.
The IPL, which finished on May 29, featured many players from the Indian side as well as a few from Australia. Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, and Mohammed Shami, as well as captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, and Ravichandran Ashwin, competed in the final WTC final in England in June 2021, following the IPL.
“There’s no doubt that this transition period for the guys, I think, is going to have to be extreme. Get as much volume as they possibly can facing new balls, trying to get the nets as spiced up as possible,” Watson told ESPNcricinfo.
“That’s the only way you can get your game back into hitting the ball under your eyes. Yes, you need that positive, aggressive intent but still understanding what balls you can score off and what balls are higher risk,” he added.
Watson feels that no time should be wasted during the players’ training sessions. “The thing you’ve got to understand is what you really need to work on if you’ve only got a couple of days,” Watson said.
Watson discussed how batters might become acclimated to the Dukes’ ball in England. “For me, the biggest thing came down to most importantly my defence. I ended up having to just work on facing the moving ball, making sure I was batting against bowlers with the moving ball or was getting throws against the moving ball and then just making sure I was locking in with my defence. Also just starting to get your head around leaving the ball again. What are the danger areas, more so the lines that bowlers would bowl and especially. The biggest challenge for all these guys and to Cameron Green is going to be around the Dukes ball because it swings so consistently,” the former Australian all-rounder said.
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