Though there has been no love lost between India and Australia over their last three Cricket series, coach Gary Kirsten has coined an interesting phrase as the Indian team’s motto for the tour — KISS, or Keep It Straight and Simple.
The principle behind the motto is to allow the Indian players to refocus on the series amidst stories that the visitors are coming better prepared to the conditions after a week-long preparation camp in Jaipur and the presence of Greg Chappell in the opposition camp. The coaching staff in the Bangalore camp is reiterating the need to concentrate on the basics with the bat, ball and in the field, and not succumb to the temptations of attempting fancy shots during the high-profile series. “We’ve been asked to focus on the basics and told to keep things straight and simple,” says a Team India member. “The general discussion is to keep away from playing flashy shots or get tempted by the short deliveries. While bowling, the idea is to just keep a tight line and length,” he added.
According to reports, the wickets for the Test series are likely to be good for batting, not affording too much bounce, and will deteriorate as the match progresses, with the foot-marks playing a big role. This is not to allow any of the pacemen — especially the Australian battery — to exploit the conditions, and allow the Indian spinners to get considerable help from the rough.
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