Forget batting talent, Aussies bowled over by Indian guts

‘‘To tackle the Australians you have to be tough and play them at their own game’’, said Procter. And it was this quality of the Indians, apart from their batting wizardry and general charisma, which has appealed to the Australians this summer.

Even the players. ‘‘(Opening batsman) Justin Langer said that everyone could learn much from this tour and the Indians. I think that suggests how much they became admired’’, Procter told The Indian Express.

As a world-class competitor of the 1960s and 1970s, Procter knows a thing or two about the game’s competitive spirit. As a player and coach he has also known and felt the hard-nosed attitude of the Australians.

‘‘For those who don’t quite understand what is involved, touring Australia is tough. You’re not only competing against their side but also a media which looks for any weakness which they will expose and a public out to humiliate even your best efforts’’, Procter said. ‘‘To overcome that, win a Test and draw a series after a heavy defeat require character and guts and the Aussie public liked what they saw.’’

He singled out Man of the Series Rahul Dravid, for leading by example throughout the series — others took their cue from him. There was an occasion at Adelaide where there was an appeal for caught behind; Dravid waited the umpire’s decision, which was not out. ‘‘Only after that decision was made did he step away and rub his forearm and the team’s

physio come out to apply the spray’’, Procter added. ‘‘It was one of the many incidents where the Indians displayed what is a new iron will, mental toughness and approach to the game which matched the Australians. That was the difference. They were prepared to take on the Aussies at their own game and it worked…didn’t it.’’

As for India’s batting, Procter spoke of the ‘‘hard and experienced’’ core which was better balanced and more productive than the Australians — despite Sachin Tendulkar’s failures in the first three Tests. He singled out VVS Laxman as the batsman who helped Dravid bury the Australian myth of invincibility.

‘‘India put together some great performances and it reflected in their results’’, he said. But Procter isn’t one of those ascribing to the theory that Australia are a waning power. They missed Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, but they are still strong, he feels; it’s just that India

came at them hard, far harder than expected, and they aren’t used to being taken on up front.