Oct. 7: Ending on the losing side after being just a wicket away from victory can be tough to cope with but the Australian squad appear to have erased the agonising loss at Mohali out of their minds as they concentrated on the next hurdle — the Bengaluru Test that commences on Saturday.
“We were part of something special, but we are disappointed with the result. We played some amazing Tests through the year and being on the winning side makes a hell of a difference,” said Australian middle-order mainstay Michael Hussey. “After the Mohali Test the dressing room was very quiet but we were proud of having put up such a good performance,” Hussay added.
The southpaw did hint that the team was rearing to bounce back and level the Border-Gavaskar series in the Garden City. “The boys are in good spirits. Some of the guys, particularly the fast bowlers, are trying to recover after a tough match in Mohali. The focus is on recovery but we have to keep our skills in good shape as well,” Hussey added.
However, Hussey is aware that India have always been formidable opponents at home and will be hard to tame especially with their tails up after taking a 1-0 lead. “They have got some seasoned campaigners in their batting order who know how to handle pressure. Players such as V.V.S. Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag have done very well against us in the past. In their bowling attack, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan know how to tilt the conditions to their benefit,” he said.
To make matters worse for the tourists, a normally reliable Hussey hasn’t been able to do much in the first Test but was determined to make his presence felt in the last Test.
“I feel good about my game. I got some good starts and couldn’t go on with it, but I know if I stick to my basics, a big score is just around the corner. I am determined to do well in the next match,” the Australian said.
Meanwhile, Australians have their share of injury worries, with pacer Doug Bollinger still recovering from abdominal strain. Hussey was not sure whether the left-arm pacer, a key member of the attack, will be fit for the Test.
“He went for a scan yesterday (on Wednesday). It looks like a minor strain. We are hopeful he will be fine. But you have to see how he bowls at the nets tomorrow (on Friday),” Hussey informed.
Should Bollinger miss out, the onus will be on the rookie pacers to complement Mitchell Johnson in trying conditions and Hussey is confident that the visitors will be up for the big battle.