Langer takes break as McDonald to lead Australia on India tour

Andrew McDonald will be in charge of the national men’s side for the first time and Justin Langer is confident he will excel in his new role.

Langer does not expect major changes for the tour of Bangladesh later this year after back-to-back Test series triumphs on home soil.

Australia coach Justin Langer is taking a break and will not travel to India, where his senior assistant Andrew McDonald will lead the side in the three-match series ODI series, starting January 14.

The 38-year-old McDonald will be in charge of the national men’s side for the first time and Langer is confident the former medium pacer will excel in his new role.

“I said to him this morning, ‘we’re not reinventing the wheel’ He’s got a really good opportunity,” Langer told Sydney Morning Herald.

“I’m so confident in our coaching staff now with the cricket side of things. A lot of the time now I think about the cricket 30 per cent of the time, the rest of the time all the other stuff that goes with it: the bigger picture, the cultural stuff,” Langer added.

After completing a 3-0 home Test series sweep over New Zealand, Australia is slated to travel to India for a three match ODI series starting with match in Mumbai.

“He’s an excellent coach, we’ve got other excellent coaches to back him up. I said to him I won’t ring him, I’ll let him go. He said ‘I might ring you’, that’s the difference. He’ll do a really good job,”

- Langer not expecting major changes for Australia's Bangladesh -

Langer does not expect major changes for the tour of Bangladesh later this year after back-to-back Test series triumphs on home soil.

Australia enjoyed a flawless summer Down Under after completing a 3-0 series sweep of trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand on Monday, having previously dispatched Pakistan 2-0.

Australia's batsmen and bowlers flexed their muscles in local conditions and Langer flagged few changes for the team's next Test assignment – away to Bangladesh in June.

"In the spirit of that continuity, it'd be hard to break up that squad," Langer told reporters on Tuesday, a day after Australia wrapped up a thumping 279-run win over New Zealand in the third and final Test at the SCG.

"We might add an all-rounder and another spinner because we're going to get spinning conditions."

Australia's last trip to Bangladesh resulted in a remarkable series draw against the Tigers in 2017.

 

With inputs from Opta