India v Australia: Chennai man Sridharan Sriram spun the tale in Kohli & Co downfall

  • | Sunday | 26th February, 2017

"I think the biggest influence has been Sri (Sriram). Cricket Australia 's association with Sriram started in 2015, when he helped the 'A' team handle the conditions at Chepauk. I've worked with him in Chennai in the 'A' series (in 2015). But the Aussie left-arm spinner owes it to Chennai's Sridharan Sriram for coming up with a plan that helped him achieve career-best match-figures of 12/70. I come on the field, I get to speak with him, he's a local, so he knows the conditions.

CHENNAI: The man behind one of India's worst home defeats on Saturday was Steve O'Keefe . But the Aussie left-arm spinner owes it to Chennai's Sridharan Sriram for coming up with a plan that helped him achieve career-best match-figures of 12/70."I think the biggest influence has been Sri (Sriram). I've worked with him in Chennai in the 'A' series (in 2015). I come on the field, I get to speak with him, he's a local, so he knows the conditions. I get to spend the lunchtime bowling with him. And he understands how to bowl in these conditions - how the batters are thinking," O'Keefe explained 'consultant' Sriram's role in his development. Cricket Australia 's association with Sriram started in 2015, when he helped the 'A' team handle the conditions at Chepauk. After that, he has been part of the Australian set-up as a consultant in their sub-continent tours, helping the players deal with the mystery of spin.It's not just O'Keefe who has benefited from Sriram's inputs. Even the batsmen got an idea on how to play Ravindra Jadeja on a turning track from the former Indian all-rounder, who had played 8 ODIs in the early 2000s. "Sri is an excellent spin-bowling coach. I've worked with him a couple times now and he's really impressive," O'Keefe said.In fact, it was Sriram who told the left-arm spinner where he was going wrong after the first session on the second day when he went without a wicket. "He tapped me on the head in between sessions and he's not afraid to say it to your face, which is excellent," O'Keefe added.Aussie captain Steve Smith too acknowledged that Sriram has made a difference in the way his trump card O'Keefe is bowling. "I know he has worked with Sriram. He is able to bowl differently (in India) to what he bowls at home," Smith said.Since the 2015 Australia 'A' series, Sriram worked with the Australian team during the 2016 World T20 and a series in Sri Lanka. While the Aussies crashed out in the group stage of the T20 World Cup, they lost 0-3 to Lanka. But the CA bosses still chose to stick with him.

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