Doherty says prepared for ‘bloody tough’ India tour

Sydney: Xavier Doherty has claimed he is fully prepared for Australia’s tough four-match Test series against India after national selector John Inverarity suggested he could usurp Nathan Lyon in the sub-continent. Doherty threw his baggy green cap in a drawer after his traumatic two Tests against England two summers ago, but he has now dusted it off with renewed confidence for the four-Test series against the world`s best players of spin.

Doherty is the second spinner in the squad, but if Australia plays three quicks and off-spinning all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, he could displace Lyon if the selectors prefer to have two slow bowlers turning the ball in opposite directions. The Tasmanian said he had studied England`s recent series win in India, which was led by Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar, and unsurprisingly, in that series, 75 per cent of wickets fell to spin. Doherty said he watched the England-India series more as a viewer rather than for research, thinking he wasn`t going to be a part of it, Doherty added after watching the way Panesar and Swann bowled with some extra pace and really getting the ball to fizz off the wicket, he would be looking harder at some of that footage again. The left-handed tweaker further said traditionally India`s batsmen go after the spinners, especially inexperienced spinners they look to take on, adding he has got a fair bit of research to do and a bit to learn, but the important thing is to make sure he is bowling well with some confidence, going into the series. Doherty revealed it had taken him months to look at his baggy green cap again after his Ashes experience and admitted the series against India would be a bloody tough Test for the Australian team. ANI