India vs Australia: Good technique vital on these tracks, says Rohit Sharma

embarrassment in Pat Cummins’ speech at post-match press conference was unmistakable. His team went down sweeping mindlessly to Indian spinners on Sunday. The sweep has been the go-to shot in spinning conditions since Matthew Hayden’s rampage in India in 2001. It just appears that their cricketers believe there is not any other way to survive in these conditions.“There were a few lessons we learned well from last week. We did well in the first innings at times, probably at times just overplayed that in the second. I am probably as much to blame as anyone else there,” Cummins said while talking about the flurry of batters falling to the sweep shot.

Cummins’ entire defence revolved around putting the pressure back on the bowlers in conditions which test the batter’s technique all day. “Two big things we talk about is the tempo of the game and the method. I’d rather be high tempo than low tempo though, to be honest, if those wickets are being difficult. But maybe the method went a little bit away from what we had planned,” Cummins added.Tempo is the operative word here—something that the Indian camp also concurs with. But it invariably boils down to the method used to attack the spinners.

Read AlsoHow Ravindra Jadeja is having the Anil Kumble effect

On Sunday in Delhi, when Ravindra Jadeja was running through the Australian batting line-up to become the fastest Indian to take seven wickets in an innings (in 12.1 overs), one couldn’t but go back to that legendary Kumble spell to get his 'Perfect 10' 24 years ago at the same venue.

“You need technique to defend as well as attack including the shots down the ground, sweep and reverse sweep. On pitches like these, it is very important to have confidence in your own technique.