Justin Langer Takes Nothing Away From India; Says They Deserved To Win In Australia In 2018-19

Australia head coach Justin Langer eyes nothing less than inflicting defeat on India, who will spend the next two months down under, locking horns in all three formats. Justin Langer was only a few months as the national team’s coach when Virat Kohli’s men beat Australia in their backyard for the first time in their Test series in 2018-19. The Western Australian took away nothing from India and claimed they deserved to win.

India ended their wait of 71 years by beating Australia on their soil the last time they toured, clinching the four-Test series by 2-1 and retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Australia found itself shorn of their two best batsmen in David Warner and Steve Smith, both of who will partake on this occasion. However, the men in blue blunted the reputed pace-bowling attack of the hosts on their way to a historic series victory.

Justin Langer underlined that it was challenging for Australia to withstand India’s firepower and conceded that the visitors deserved to beat them. Nevertheless, Langer backed that his players have vastly improved and accepted that India are more experienced too. And he remains eager for his men to go out there and perform.

“Not making excuses, but it was tough going back then. India were on top of their game, they deserved to beat us for the first time in their history. But our guys are two years better and a lot of the Indians are the same, more experienced. I can’t wait to see them go. Can’t wait,” Langer stated as quoted by Hindustan Times.

Justin Langer highlights how Australia kept going down to India the last time:

The 49-year old further said that the hosts losing the toss in Melbourne after winning the Perth Test made them lose all the momentum. Justin Langer pointed out India bowled for nearly two days in Perth, adding that Sydney’s wicket for the fourth Test was just as flat a wicket as in Melbourne Cricket Ground.

“If I go back to that time (2018-19), we lost a toss at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) after winning the Perth Test match – lost the toss on possibly the flattest wicket I’ve seen in Test cricket… and they (India) bowled for nearly two days. And then we had to back it up and play at the SCG (Sydney Cricket Ground) the next Test match on a pretty flat wicket as well,” he added.

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