Speaking about Australia loss in The Ashes, former Australia fast bowler Glenn McGrath said that the Aussie bowlers have done well but the team has struggled to find the right batting combination. “We have changed a few things around this last Test so hopefully we will improve but Australia has been well and truly beaten. The main difference is one player: Ian Bell. You take him out of England and they aren’t looking too good either,” said McGrath, according to a report in The Hindu.
“When you lose seven senior players, you lose a lot of experience. That’s why Ricky Ponting, towards the end of his career, may not have produced the runs but what he’s doing for the young batsmen was invaluable. Michael Clarke has played a lot of cricket as has Shane Watson but that’s not the same as guys with 100-odd Tests,” said McGrath.
According to a report in The Times Of India, McGrath opined that one of the main reasons for Australia's sorry run in Tests was due to a shaky opening pair. "Openers set the tone for you. They are extremely important, and once you have a good opening partnership going, the confidence in the dressing room goes up. Australia was lucky for a long time in this department with the likes of Matthew Hayden, Michael Slater, and Justin Langer giving the start that we always needed. We have struggled a bit since," said McGrath, who is here as the director of the MRF Pace Foundation.
McGrath did not want to read too much into the reports of a rift between Clarke and Shane Watson, as alleged by former coach Mickey Arthur. "I spent some time with the Australian team, and I thought there was good harmony. I think the so-called issue has been blown out of proportion. When a team is winning, it is easy to have harmony, isn't it? It all comes down to confidence and winning. England batsmen barring Bell didn't do much better, but they seemed happier and more confident as they were winning," he said.