Team India were let down by young guns, says Dennis Lillee

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Australian legend Dennis Lillee is back at the MRF Pace Foundation.

In a chat with DC, Lillee touched base on various topics including India’s abysmal show in England, the forthcoming series against Australia and Varun Aaron finding favour with the selectors.

On the current MRF trainees: I am very excited with the current lot. They are all in the age group of 18-20. Some of them are promising. I have no doubt that they will go a long way. And we, at MRF, will try to get the best out of them.

On his ward, Varun Aaron, representing India: Aaron was around 15 when he came to us. At that point we had an excellent batch that included Irfan Pathan and S. Sreesanth. We took it slow with him and worked on his technique. I knew the lad was destined for bigger things. Aaron has worked hard and has made a positive return from injury. The hard yards are starting to pay dividends now.

On Zaheer Khan’s constant injury worries: If Zaheer Khan is fully fit, he is a world-class bowler but it seems age is starting to get to him. It is much more easier for a youngster to make a comeback from a stress- related injury as compared to a 32-year-old.

On England’s performance: England have climbed to the No.1 Test ranking not without a reason. They have been consistent. For me, this is one of the best English attacks to have ever played. This attack is as strong as the one that beat Australia in 2005.

On India’s dismal show: I always maintained that the series would all be about Indian batsmen versus the English bowlers. The latter used the home conditions well and bowled in the right areas, while India were just not able to raise the bar. India were hard done by their young guns who churned out a string of failures.

On whether India can bounce back in the ODIs: India are lying low at the moment but as has been the case in the past, the drubbing will pep the team up and help them bounce back strongly. Fresh faces in the squad, too, will help the cause.

On the best attack in the world: It is a close call between England and South Africa at the moment.

On the current Australian side: It will take a while for the team to settle. After a comprehensive review, it was time for a change. And people behind the study have made a couple of recommendations that will only benefit Australia. I among a whole lot of people back home who can’t wait for the India-Oz series to start; it is going to be cracker.