Hick preaches patience for Indian success

Trent Bridge, 2015.

Australia hit the nadir of the Darren Lehmann Era when they're skittled for 60 on day one of the fourth Test of the Ashes. 

The spectacular collapse all but ends their pursuit of a first away Ashes series victory since 2001 and immediately the head scratching begins. 

A product of what were doubtless many post mortems within Cricket Australia emerged today with the appointment of former England batsman Graeme Hick as Australia's new batting coach. 

Hick, a man with mountains of experience at international and first-class level, knows how it feels to stare up at the scoreboard and see 60 all out. 

In fact, he's had it worse. 

"I played in a game for England where we got bowled out for 46 in the Caribbean," said the 50-year-old, referring to a 1994 Test in Trinidad in which Curtly Ambrose ran rampant. 

"It was just one of those occasions where before you can even get prepared, the innings is over. 

"People didn't have time to sit, plan and take stock of what was happening – it was all over so quickly. 

"That's all part of the challenge. 

"Without doubt, you go to India, you're going to get their subcontinent wickets, you go to England now, certainly Trent Bridge and Headingley, they're going to be swinging around, Edgbaston maybe as well.

"So that's the challenge to face and that's what the players will prepare themselves for.

"All the players will be able to reflect on that (60 all out) and think about how they could have played it differently. 

"That goes back to the mental side of it."

Right there, Hick has hit on the two biggest challenges for Australia across the next three years – tours of India and England. 

And the fact that a major part of those challenges will be played out between the ears. 

In his first press conference in his new role today, Hick preached the familiar refrain of "patience" that was heard repeatedly in the lead-up to Australia's three-Test series against Sri Lanka. 

Whether it was a failure to implement that approach or simply a failure of that approach, Australia's batsmen were unable to master the Sri Lankan spinners in their home conditions, and the end result was a one-sided 3-0 series defeat. 

Hick, who scored a Test best 178 in Mumbai in 1993 against an Indian attack that included spinning duo Anil Kumble and Venkatapathy Raju, will be reinforcing that approach with the hope of a more fruitful outcome. 

Image Id: 0129EC5CFB78469F9E8558FDF061C9F9 Image Caption: Hick in India back in 1993 // Getty

Benefiting him will be what he believes is a strong desire among the Australian playing group to right the perceived wrongs of that tour of Sri Lanka, as well as the experience gained from those matches. 

"All your great players love a challenge," he said in reference to working with the likes of David Warner and Steve Smith as they eye those tours on the distant and not-so-distant horizon. 

"They manage to adapt and work it out themselves, in a way. 

"So (I will) just pose a few questions, challenge them a bit. And I think there's a challenge there anyway, especially in regard to England and the Ashes – I don't think they'll need much motivation for that. 

"It's about adapting to the conditions. I think at times the Australian way is to really dominate, especially in Test cricket ... Maybe India is a place where you need a little more patience. 

"Let's not forget it's one of the hardest challenges in cricket. The teams that have been successful there recently have been (due to) guys who have made big runs up front. 

"So it's a matter of if one of our top order gets in, just batting a couple of sessions maybe is not enough. 

"You've got to look at posting a big first-innings score if you get in, so that may require a little more patience than some players might normally play at. 

"But that's the exciting part – we've not won there for quite a while, and I think this group of players, having spoken to a couple of them briefly, is certainly up for the challenge and wanting to make a better account of themselves than they did in the Sri Lanka series.

"The biggest thing will be the side believing they can go over there and be successful, and coming up with a plan and sticking to that plan."