Australia struggled in the UAE against Pakistan but I would not say they battled. A battle tends to have two sides and is hard fought.

It is difficult to say that this two Test series was a hard fought battle. There is no way to sugar coat it – this simply was a one-sided series.

So, what went on? Let’s touch on a couple of things.

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Playing spin

Australians tend to have a generally positive attitude to the way we approach spin. We look to dominate – and by we I mean batsmen, not me personally, I was a block artist – and if it’s in the arc, hit it out of the park.

I agree with this mindset. It tends to get batsmen into better positions to play the ball in attack or defence because of a ‘look to score’ mentality.

The issue I believe is in contact points when defending the ball. Put simply, when defending there is no middle ground – you either play right back or right forward. These decisive movements can potentially increase scoring options by increasing angles at point of contact.

The modern batsman has to contend with technology, namely DRS. This point should not be underestimated. Umpires are not afraid to give players out LBW – especially when the batsman is well forward.

Batsmen need to be looking to hit the ball as opposed to thrusting their pad down the pitch as a first line of defence. However, it does bring up the issue of technique differences between players from different parts of the world.

Australians look to play with bat and pad close together at point of impact whereas sub-continental players tend to get their head and hands out there to intercept the spin with the good length and fuller delivery, or let the ball finish spinning by playing right back to good length and shorter balls.



Conditions and the type of spinner will dictate whether a sub-continent batsman will play forward or back to a good length ball.

Getting into the best possible positions by either minimising the spin or allowing the ball to finish spinning is the best way to play – especially on these low, slow pitches.

Batting in general

The mindset of playing in different conditions. I am all for backing ability and trusting technique – these are important. The questions I would ask an Australian batsman would be ‘What does backing your ability and trusting your technique specifically mean to you?’

I would also ask, ‘As someone watching from the dressing room, what exactly would I see to allow me to believe that you are doing these things?’

If a batsman can answer these questions I believe he has a very good understanding of himself and his game.

I hear commentators talk about a batsman finding the right balance between attack and defence.

What they are really saying is the batsman needs to adapt to the situation. What does this mean? It is simply being able to implement your game plan yet have the flexibility to alter this depending on a situation that may arise, whether this be defensive or attacking adaptation.

It can be a tough thing to do however having that game awareness to acknowledge these moments allows the batsman the best opportunity to make a clear decision and adapt to the environment he finds himself in.



Australians can not only survive, but thrive in sub-continent conditions, I have seen it over the years. Think Matthew Hayden 2001 against India.

It was a simple plan. He either used his feet or swept, diligently prepared for the challenge and was very clear as to what he was doing, safe in the knowledge he had the backing of his teammates and coaches.

Clarity of thought is the key.

Bowling on the sub-continent can be brutal. It is a fantastic challenge and rewarding when you perform well as a bowling group for the team.

The three rules of bowling on the sub-continent are discipline, discipline, discipline. There is no other way to put it. You need to be ruthless with this.

For seamers, hit the track hard and look to hit off stump with the occasional high bouncer. Variations can include wobble-seam, cutters and cross seam to see if there is any movement off the pitch without compromising that disciplined line and length.

Using the width of the crease as well to create different release point angles is an important skill to possess.

For spinners it is simply spinning the ball hard and make sure you have the correct fields – by that I mean in and outfields.



A balance of attacking, wicket taking fielding positions and defensive fielding positions, which incidentally can be fielding positions that create wicket opportunities.

The more patient you are, the more opportunities that present themselves. We saw that this series to an extent. The issue was that Australia missed eleven chances in the field – some very tough yes, but some also very catchable too.

There is no compromise – Australia need to field better, particularly in the catching department.

While the tour was overall disappointing for Australia, I believe there needs to be an element of calm shown – especially by the players and support staff. The key is to learn from this experience.

I only hope that we are not discussing the same issues after Australia’s next Test series in the sub-continent.