Australia coach Andrew McDonald has rejected suggestions the team was not prepared well enough for the tour of India.
And it comes amid calls for the Aussies to bring Matthew Hayden on as a coaching consultant based on his experience in Asia.
It took less than six days for the hosts to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with comprehensive wins at Nagpur and Delhi, with the Aussies needing a draw or win in the remaining two Tests to lock up a spot in the World Test Championship final.
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But after poor batting collapses in the first two Tests, getting a result is no sure thing, with the Aussie line-up twice capitulating as India mastered the tricky conditions.
It has led to suggestions the Aussies should have played a tour game in India before the series, a decision that greats including Ian Healy and Michael Clarke were both surprised by.
Instead McDonald’s team held a two-day spin camp in North Sydney and employed Indian net bowlers, including one with a similar action to Ravichandran Ashwin, with an intensive training camp in Bangalore.
Border ‘shell-shocked’ after collapse | 00:43
“I still wouldn’t have changed what we did leading in, there’s no doubt about that,” McDonald told reporters on Monday.
“I think they had really good preparation in Bangalore, so there’s not any excuses.
“At the end of day two, if you said our preparation was good, you’d probably have a different slant on it, but within an hour then people start to critique what happened in the past.
“I don’t think that had a great bearing on what happened in that hour, we were prepared for that, and day three, as well as we could have been and we failed under the examination of India.”
But former long-time Test wicketkeeper Healy argued a tour match would’ve helped the Aussies get a clearer picture of their selections and adjust to the difficult wickets.
“Never again tell me we’re not playing a tour match to begin, at least two, there’s no shortcuts to Test match success,” Healy said on SENQ Breakfast.
Clarke was not “surprised” by the first two Tests’ results following the lack of a tour match.
“We didn’t have a tour game. Major, major, major mistake. At least one tour game over there to get used to the conditions,” Clarke said on Sky Sports Radio’s Big Sports Breakfast.
He added: “Our selections for the first Test — major, major, major mistake.
“I go back to Steve Smith not being picked at the T20 World Cup. Whoever is selecting the team has to be accountable for that mistake, No.1. No.2; not picking Travis Head in the first Test of the series, they are two massive mistakes.
“One cost us a chance, I reckon, of winning the T20 World Cup, and this 100 per cent cost us the first Test if not the second Test.”
Clarke backed calls for Matthew Hayden, who scored 30 Test centuries including two in India, to be brought into the Aussie fold.
India rip through Aussies, take 2-0 lead | 04:04
Hayden was critical of the Aussies’ over-use of sweep shots during their third innings capitulation, explaining on the Cricket Et Cetera podcast: “The ball not going over the stumps means you can only sweep on line.
“You’ve got to see what the Indian batsmen do and that’s come down to the ball. Once you start moving your feet, then they might start tossing it wide, then the sweep shot might be an option.
“I’m never a big fan of saying don’t sweep. I think that’s the wrong mentality because you already saw how productive the shot was. I’m just saying don’t sweep every ball.
“You can’t have it all in the game of cricket. Leave those sweep shots to hackers like myself.
“It was disappointing wasn’t it. You only have to look at the way Cares (Alex Carey) played that innings and you get a sense of desperation and that what’s India want.”
Smith’s silly sweep gets punished! | 00:33
Hayden, who worked with Pakistan during their run to the T20 World Cup final, could be of assistance for the current Aussie side according to Clarke.
“Look at the staff. Are we getting enough help here? Do we need some more advice, guidance?” he said.
“Something so simple. You’ve got Matthew Hayden in India at the moment commentating and Mark Waugh as well. They’re at the ground.
“So it’d be a no-brainer to go to someone like Matthew Hayden, who is a massive sweeper. He’s probably the only Australian batsman that has had success sweeping in India.
“Matty Hayden said it a hundred times on commentary yesterday, ‘Boys, I wouldn’t be sweeping here, don’t sweep, don’t sweep, don’t sweep’. These batters, go and took to Haydos, who’s a sweeping genius, because he’s telling you not to sweep.
“I feel we’re a little bit nervous to get outside help because it might be a little critical.
“I think if you just stay in your bubble in situations like this, that’s where it gets harder because you keep making the same mistakes and the fans get crazier. Do some things to try and get better, that’s what we need to try to do.”
