Jason Gillespie reveals how Aus bowlers deceived Indian batsmen during 2004 Test series

Jason Gillespie revealed how the Australian bowlers had got the better of the Indian batsmen during the 2004 India tour for a four-match Test series. The Aussies registered a 2-1 win with India managing to salvage pride by winning the dead-rubber at Mumbai on a turning track. Meanwhile, this was Australia's first-ever win on Indian soil after 1969. This victory came under stand-in-captain Adam Gilchrist's reign (Regular skipper Ricky Ponting was ruled out due to an injury and had only played as well as captained in the final Test). 

Since that win in 2004, the five-time world champions are yet to register a Test series win in India to date. 

'That's what happened': Jason Gillespie

While speaking to a publication, Gillespie went on to say that a lot of Indian batsmen are very wristy and play really well through the leg side. He then mentioned that batsmen like VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag can hit the ball anywhere from straight past the bowler to the re leg just by the use of their hands when the ball is on the stumps as they are very skillful players. 

The ex-pacer then added they all felt that if they put an extra fielder or two on the leg side in catching position and another defensive position on the fence, hey would end up encouraging the Indian batsmen to run more between the wickets rather than getting those easy boundaries and therefore, they (the Australians) wanted to test the batsmen's fitness and they just felt that if they kept charging in and attacking the stumps, eventually the Indian batters might miss one or two of those and the Aussie bowlers can succeed in getting an LBW or a bowled and that is what happened. 

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The 2004/05 Border Gavaskar Trophy 

Adam Gilchrist & Co. had arrived in India to do what his predecessor Steve Waugh had failed to do in the 2000/01 season and that is to win a Test series on Indian soil. The visitors drew first blood at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore by registering an emphatic 217-run win. The second Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai ended in a stalemate which means it was a must-win contest for India in the third Test.

However, it was not to be as the then world champions won that contest at Nagpur by a mammoth 342 runs in a lop-sided contest and even though India managed to win a low-scoring thriller in the fourth and final Test match at Mumbai, it was too late as the Aussies had already secured the iconic Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

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