Former fast bowler Jason Gillespie was the hero of Australia's 2-1 series triumph in India in 2004, and Gillespie has now told of the plan he used to have such an impact on the series.
Dizzy took 20 wickets across the four Tests including a nine-wicket haul in the third Test in Nagpur, as that series marks the last time Australia won even a Test on Indian soil.
While Gillespie now coaches the Adelaide Strikers the paceman is still keen to have an impact in the Test arena, and his advice for the current day squad does take some insipration from the 2004 victory.
“I think we had a plan as a fast bowling team, the team within the team, we changed our approach to bowling in India,” Gillespie said in his podcast on cricket.com.au.
“I remember in past tours we bowled the Australian line, the fourth and fifth stump line, and invite the drives for the nicks.
“We felt that the Indians, while they’re very good playing off their stumps to the leg-side because they’re very wristy players, we felt if we could look to really attack the stumps — sort of a ‘you miss I hit’ mentality — and block their big boundary options, make them run in the heat, back our skills and fitness to hang in there, be really disciplined with our line and length.
“We knew we had the king at the other end, Warney (Shane Warne), so we just rotated, backed our skills to be really ruthless, really disciplined with our line and length, stay patient and wear them down.
“Fortunately we were able to do that.
“You need a little bit of luck along the way, but you make your own luck through that hard work.
“It was a tough tour but it was a great experience and to win that series was a highlight of my career.”
Back in 2004 Dizzy was the leading man in Australia's attack alongside Glenn McGrath, as the pair wreaked havoc on the subcontinent.
13 years later and the duo of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are looking to replicate the same form with the ball, while Jackson Bird will be in the supporting cast if required.
Gillespie believes that two paceman and two spinners is the way to set up the bowling attack, and says Mitchell Marsh could be used as a fast-bowling all-rounder.
“I certainly think they’ll need two slow bowling options in the Test matches,” Gillespie said.
“If they can have that third seam bowling option, because I think if they have two seamers, two spinners that’s hard work for those quicks.
“They’ve got lots of options so I’m quite excited.”
