Australia's Batting Coach Michael Di Venuto discusses Day 4 of Fifth Test at Oval
Australia's Batting Coach Michael Di Venuto discusses Day 4 of Fifth Test at Oval
Transcript
00:00 Thank you.
00:02 Goodbye.
00:04 >> Goodbye.
00:06 >> So what?
00:08 >> Bye.
00:10 >> Bye.
00:12 >> Bye.
00:14 >> Bye.
00:16 >> Bye.
00:18 >> Bye.
00:20 >> Bye.
00:22 >> Bye.
00:24 >> Bye.
00:26 >> Bye.
00:28 >> Bye.
00:30 >> Bye.
00:32 >> Bye.
00:34 >> Thanks, everyone.
00:36 We'll be back this afternoon to answer your questions.
00:38 Mike's on the side.
00:40 >> Mike, you have to be happy with the way today went.
00:42 Did it go as well as you possibly could have asked for?
00:44 >> I think you asked if I was happy with the way the day went.
00:46 >> It couldn't have gone any better.
00:48 >> Outstanding start from our two openers.
00:50 Sort of put some starts together throughout the day.
00:52 >> I think you asked if I was happy with the way the day went.
00:54 >> I think you asked if I was happy with the way the day went.
00:56 >> I think you asked if I was happy with the way the day went.
00:58 >> Yeah, it couldn't have gone any better.
01:00 >> Outstanding start from our two openers.
01:02 Sort of put some starts together throughout the series.
01:04 But to go on and get over 100 runs start when we're chasing 380 was an outstanding effort.
01:11 >> What did they do differently?
01:13 In particular, Dave, obviously, he's had a lot of starts where he got to 20 or 30 and got out.
01:16 Was there anything different about today, do you think, as opposed to earlier in the series?
01:20 >> I think conditions had a lot to do with it today.
01:22 It's a very good batting wicket out there.
01:24 A little bit of swing and seam at times.
01:27 But generally really good batting conditions.
01:30 We saw a bit of spin out of the rough for left-handers, but you'd expect that.
01:34 Conditions are good and they both played really well.
01:37 >> Was there any talk from Davey about, with the news yesterday that Stewart was retiring,
01:47 was that just one little bit of extra fire in his belly to get one last win in that battle?
01:51 >> I think he's pretty keen to go on for a few more Asher series now.
01:55 >> Stewart won't be.
01:59 >> What's the talk as a coach when you see a target that big?
02:04 Obviously, you see the pitch is playing well,
02:06 but it must take a bit of mentality to get started like that when the total is so far away.
02:11 Second highest ever in England.
02:13 >> Yeah, I think there's so much time left in the game from yesterday to chase down a target like that.
02:20 And in very good batting conditions.
02:22 So it's just a matter of applying ourselves and playing the way we do,
02:27 which the two openers went about it in their own different styles.
02:31 And so far, they've got us off to an excellent start.
02:34 >> You've spent a fair bit of time in the nets with Dave across the course of this tour,
02:41 across the course of his career.
02:42 What are the things you've been working on with him?
02:44 And what have you kind of noticed in the nets leading into this test?
02:50 >> Yeah, I think on this tour, he's looked to be positive most of the time with his feet.
02:54 You've seen plenty of energy out of the crease.
02:56 He's had some really good starts and then generally just made a poor decision when he's been dismissed,
03:03 which the way he'd been playing is sort of a little bit out of character when he has been dismissed.
03:08 So, you know, so far in this he's looked really good and made some good decisions and played quite nicely.
03:15 >> Are you surprised that Mark Wood came in so late to the game today?
03:19 >> Yeah, not sure of those tactics, whether he's carrying an injury,
03:23 whether he can only bowl a certain amount of overs, unsure.
03:27 So there was some spin, we saw some spin there, so that wasn't a surprise.
03:31 We're two left-handers out there to see the off-spinners wheeling away at one end.
03:35 Yeah, England are going to have to answer that one.
03:38 >> Yep, Michael, it's been sort of a very intense, exhausting tour.
03:47 Coming down to the final day, the chance to end this 22-year drought of winning away the Ashes Series.
03:54 Do you sense there's a steeliness in the group to get it done tomorrow
03:59 and to summon some light energy to make sure that the result goes the way you want it to?
04:05 >> Yeah, 100%.
04:06 There's a lot of guys that have been on Ashes Series over here in the past
04:10 and haven't managed to win 20 years.
04:14 It's a long time.
04:15 We're in a great position at the moment for some of those boys to get that on their resumes.
04:20 So they're all pretty keen to score those 250 runs tomorrow.
04:25 >> Hey, Diver, just a question about the conditions here at the Oval.
04:31 Obviously, you spent a lot of time here.
04:33 Over that time, has the pitch generally, is there a trend of it lasting better for longer over that period?
04:41 >> Yeah, the way they're starting these days, well, they're starting with a bit more moisture in them.
04:45 And we saw that the first couple of days.
04:48 You know, good conditions for bowling, especially with the overcast weather and the lights on.
04:53 We saw both teams take advantage of that at certain stages.
04:57 And the wicket generally just gets better and better.
05:00 I think yesterday it looked pretty good with the sun out.
05:02 And today it looked really good as well.
05:05 I don't expect it to deteriorate too much tomorrow.
05:09 Maybe some turn.
05:11 But other than that, it's still very good for batting.
05:13 >> And just overall, the challenge I suppose posed by England, you know, Ben Stokes, the bowlers, the fielders,
05:20 in terms of even when you guys get a partnership together, they're still asking questions.
05:26 They don't sort of let the, you know, allow the singles.
05:30 It's sort of a mental challenge the whole way through, isn't it?
05:32 >> Yeah, I think they adapted to the conditions.
05:35 Their ball got soft.
05:37 They're bowling a lot.
05:38 It's quite hard to score in front of the wicket.
05:40 So they bowl quite full in set fields accordingly.
05:42 So, you know, that's smart captaincy, smart play.
05:46 We don't expect anything less from England and how they're going about it.
05:51 They're playing some good cricket.
05:53 Our boys responded quite well today.
06:00 >> When you get a situation like you've been presented with where a great England player announces retirement on the third evening of the game,
06:06 and then your players are giving him a guard of honour, there's a slightly kind of jubilant atmosphere.
06:12 Everyone talking about how great Stuart Broad is and what a great career he's had.
06:16 Does that kind of add a little bit of desire to boot the party a bit after all it is you guys who are going to be lifting the urn at the end of this game, whatever the result?
06:25 >> No, I don't think so.
06:26 I think we just want to win the Ashes.
06:28 Stuart's had an amazing career.
06:31 He's been a brilliant competitor, especially in Ashes cricket, especially in England.
06:37 He gets the crowd up and about.
06:38 He's been a wonderful performer.
06:41 He's been good to watch.
06:43 At times when I haven't been involved with the Australian team, I've spent some time at Surrey.
06:49 So I've got to watch a bit of the England boys play when I was there.
06:55 So, yeah, he's been a tremendous cricketer for a long time.
06:59 >> Sorry, one more.
07:01 Over the course of this series, particularly the last couple of tests, this England bowling tax had to get through a lot more overs than the Australian guys.
07:08 Do you sort of feel like tomorrow might be the day or do you hope tomorrow is the day where it sort of shows a bit and might actually wear them down and hands the advantage to the Australian batters as a result?
07:15 >> Yeah, I guess this morning when we got our target, we knew we had a long time to bat to score those runs.
07:22 And we knew potentially there was going to be a lot of overs being bowled at us.
07:26 So certainly part of that plan is to get them to keep coming back and bowling more and more overs.
07:33 We'll score as quick as what they let us score.
07:37 And if they bowl well, we'll try to get through their good stuff.
07:40 >> Awesome. Thanks, everyone. Thank you.
07:42 Thank you.
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