Published 14:46 IST, November 28th 2019
Justin Langer recalls worst day of his coaching career ahead of Australia vs Pakistan Test
Australian head coach Justin Langer recalls the worst day of his coaching career with the national side. Langer took over the role from Darren Lehmann in 2018.
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Australian head coach Justin Langer took over the role of Australia's head coach from Darren Lehmann in May 2018. At the time, the Australian team was in desperate need of resurrection from the controversial ball-tampering scandal in South Africa. Since his appointment, Langer along with Australian captains Tim Paine and Aaron Finch have formed successful partnerships in both Test and ODI formats.
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Justin Langer reflects on the worst day of his coaching career
In an interview with a sports portal, Justin Langer revealed the worst day of his coaching career. Langer recalled the third Test of the 2019 Ashes in England. In the game, Australia had reduced the home side to 286-9 during their pursuit of 359 to level the series. However, a 76-run stand between Ben Stokes and Jack Leach took England to a memorable 1-wicket victory over their oldest rival.
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In the interview, Justin Langer recalled Ben Stokes' unbeaten innings and how he dreaded the moment when the left-hander smashed the winning boundary through the covers. Langer described the occasion as probably the worst day of his coaching career. He added that the defeat ended up giving him the best 10 days of his life as Australia went on to win the next Test match at Manchester. Australia won the fourth Test at Old Trafford by 185 runs to regain the lead in the series. The win also resulted in Australia retaining the Ashes for the first time in the country since the Steve Waugh-led team won in 2001.
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Australia are currently hosting Pakistan for a two-match Test series. The home team won the first Test at The Gabba by an innings and 5 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the series. The second Test will be a Day-Night affair at the Adelaide Oval between November 29 and December 3.
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13:37 IST, November 28th 2019