Carey backs Australia’s “world-class” batters to counter Bumrah threat

Alex Carey, on Tuesday, maintained Australia are a “united group”, confident that their “world-class” batters will come up with better plans to counter India’s pace threat Jasprit Bumrah in the upcoming pink-ball Test here. With their backs against the wall, India came out all guns blazing in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series opener at Perth to win by a massive 295 runs with Bumrah (5/30 and 3/42) ripping apart Australia's batting in each innings.

The heavy margin of defeat left Australia looking for answers as their batters flopped collectively, leaving their famed bowling attack with a lot to do.

"He's obviously a fantastic bowler; (he) has been for a number of years. Our batters are world class as well and always find ways to come up with solutions," Carey told the media.

"We've had a look at him now. Hopefully we can combat that first, second spell. Get him bowling a little bit deeper in the innings with an older ball." "We saw Travis (Head) sort of counterpunch a bit (in the second innings). I trust our batters, we'll find a way not only (against) Bumrah. They played a couple of other debutantes who bowled well as well,” Carey said.

After Australia were set an improbable 534 to win, Josh Hazlewood had invited the media to ask their batters how they planned to go about in the second innings, sparking rumours of a rift between the batting and bowling groups. Carey, however, declined there was any tensions in the dressing room.

"If you ask the batters, we all want to perform better and (as) cricketers, you go out there to score a hundred and if you don't do that, I think you're at times disappointed," Carey said.

"But we're a very united group. We all do get the opportunity to bat and we're all keen to continue to put those big runs on the board and I trust the guys to do that,” he added.

Carey said Australia's resounding loss at Perth sparked a "big reaction externally" but maintained that the team will stick to its processes.

"It's quite a big reaction externally for one Test loss. Internally, we don't feel that. We didn't play the way we would have liked to have played." "We know (that) over four or five Test matches, (if) we keep rocking up and playing our style of cricket we will have the success. We've had that success to, I guess, call upon the method does work." "We're calm internally, we're excited to get back out and play a better style of cricket and we've got that opportunity come Friday." Carey did not want to draw much attention to the last contest here in which India were shot out for their lowest-ever Test total of 36.

"There are obviously amazing days in cricketing history but we don’t expect to go out there and do that again. We have a process and a plan that we try to execute and whatever happens, happens. I was not here for that Test match." Australia have never lost a pink ball Test in Adelaide, in fact they have only lost once in day and night fixture.

"We are excited. We take a lot of confidence for our record in pink-ball cricket — it doesn't mean we will have the success but (with) our methods, our style of play and the experience we have in this group we’ll bounce back from Perth," he added.

The two teams will take on each other in the second Test, starting here from Friday. PTI DDV APA APA