Steve O'Keefe can be Australia's Ravindra Jadeja, claims Monty Panesar
Former English spinner Monty Panesar has claimed that Australian spinner Steve O'Keefe can be the Aussie equivalent of Ravindra Jadeja in the upcoming Test series. Panesar also praised Australia, who will train in Dubai to acclimatize to Indian conditions, for their preparation for the tour.
"He (O'Keefe) wants to emulate how Jadeja goes about his business, and I feel he can provide a similar role to the Australian team. He is very good at working out his strengths and limitations," Panesar told TOI.
"I think he will be very handy for the Australian team. I played against him in a grade match in Sydney. He took 9-54 and I was one of his wickets. He has also gone on A tour with Australia taking 14 wickets in 2 games."
Panesar, who has been appointed as a spin consultant by Cricket Australia, has been giving insights about Indian conditions to O'Keefe and youngster Matt Renshaw at the National Cricket Centre ahead of the much-awaited Indian tour. While the Englishman has been operating out of Brisbane, the pitch that most resembles an Indian surface, he praised the Australian team for their preparation ahead of the tour. Australia will train in Dubai to get the players used to the Indian conditions before the team touches down on Indian soil.
"It will give them an insight into the conditions they will face. They must get familiar with the conditions and work out game plans -- how to be successful on red soil and clay surfaces in India," Panesar remarked.
Panesar's last trip to India was a huge success - he picked up 17 wickets in just three Test matches in the sub-continent. Keeping that in mind, Australia picked him as the man to guide a new generation of spinners forward.
"I would work out how to bowl defensively and attacking. When the pitch is flat, spinner must provide control and when the wicket turns (he) must attack to take wickets. In and outfields are important in India. You have to be stable mentally and emotionally. You have to innovate and be creative in your thought process," Panesar said on his success in India.
Panesar also advocated the selection of Glenn Maxwell in the Test side stating that the all-rounder could give the seam bowlers some rest during an innings and single-handedly win a session for his team through his explosive batting.
"I think Maxwell will play a huge role. Hopefully, he can give the captain an option to bowl 10-15 overs to give spinners and seam bowlers some rest and not give away too many runs. If he gets going with the bat, he could take the game away in a session," Panesar explained.
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