AUSTRALIA have adopted a left-field – and potentially painful – training method in a bid to counter an expected spin barrage against Bangladesh.

Opener Matthew Renshaw and first-Test hopeful Usman Khawaja have both spent time batting to spinners without their front pads on in preparation for the first Test in Dhaka.
The likes of Rahul Dravid, Michael Vaughan and Dean Jones have all spoken of the benefits practising without pads, and all-rounder Glenn Maxwell revealed ex-Test opener Justin Langer had promoted the method during his stint as Australia’s batting coach five years ago.
It’s a ploy Maxwell has used in recent years to improve his defence against spin bowling, explaining that it forces batsmen to rely solely on their bat to survive.
“It’s probably something we did back in 2012 when ‘JL’ (Langer) was the batting coach,” Maxwell told reporters at Sher-e Bangla National Stadium yesterday.
“We did it a little in the nets when we were in Dubai (for Australia’s pre-India tour camp earlier this year).
“I think the main thing is to basically use your bat: if you don’t have the safety of your front pad there it makes you get your leg out of the way and actually use your bat.
“It’s more about refining your defence and making sure you’re trusting the fact you’ll hit the ball and not hoping that your pad’s there just to save you.
“It’s more for the spinners that are hitting the stumps repeatedly and Bangladesh do that really well. They bowl the ball stump-to-stump and they put pressure on your defence.
“That’s one thing that we have worked on and will continue to work on.
“I’ve done a fair bit of it, I did a lot of it back home, a lot of my practice revolves around defence and expanding from there.”
The strategy came in for heavy attention after former England star Kevin Pietersen published an email from Test great Rahul Dravid in his 2014 book, KP: The Autobiography.
In the midst of a form slump on England’s 2010 tour of Bangladesh, Pietersen had asked Dravid for advice and in response the Indian suggested he face teammates Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar, two spinners at the height of their powers, with no pads on at all. (Cricketcom.au)