Justin Langer didn't sleep a bit in the build upto this two-match Test series against Sri Lanka.
The Australian head coach couldn't help but think of the repercussions if the hosts lost to Sri Lanka in the Tests, and that too at their historic fortress, Gabba in Brisbane.
This dreadful feeling, Langer says, was with him ever since India clinched their maiden Test series triumph down under. "I kept thinking before the game, imagine if we get beaten by Sri Lanka at the Gabba? That's why I haven't slept much the past week!" said Langer as Tim Paine's men eventually won the D/N pink-ball encounter by an innings and 40 runs,
"I almost rang Pete (Lalor, The Australian newspaper's cricket correspondent) actually. This is a true story; to see how it would be received from the public picking someone from outside the (original squad)."
"You agonize more, probably, at this point of the season about what's going to get reported on if I'm completely frank. Hopefully, I'll get tougher over the years that way and don't think about that."
Kurtis Patterson and Jhye Richardson both made their Test debuts and impressed everyone around by their exploits, something Langer is quite satisfied with.
"I was really glad we had the courage to have that flexibility and bring someone in from outside," said Langer about Patterson, who looked good during his stay that ended with an 82-ball 30 in the first innings, "He looked like a Test batsman [with] such a good rhythm going. He's a good looking player and took some great catches in the gully. He's another cricket tragic so you like having cricket tragics in the Australian cricket team."
Richardson exhibited superb swing and seam movement to return with match-figures of 27-10-45-5.
Meanwhile, Langer confirmed that Australia will delay naming their Ashes touring party formally until well into the 'A' tour, which is scheduled to take place earlier in the northern summer.
"I hope I'm not talking out of school with the other selectors but I can't see us picking the Ashes before the Australian A tour. There'll be really good opportunities for the guys who are picked for Australia A, while the World Cup is on, to put their hand up," he concluded.
(Inputs from Cricbuzz)
