Monty Panesar wants Steve O'Keefe to emulate Ravindra Jadeja

The Australian team management has hired the services of former Indian spinner Sridharan Sriram and England left-arm spinner Monty Panesar ahead of their tough four-match Test series against the Men in Blue in their shore. Australia was whitewashed 4-0 during the last time they toured India for a Test series. Panesar who was instrumental in England winning the Test series in India during the 2012 tour feels left-arm spinner Steve O’ Keefe will be the key man for the Aussies in India.

Panesar feels that O’Keefe might be the right option for the Test series in India and he can be Australia’s Ravindra Jadeja in the upcoming series. “He (O’Keefe) wants to emulate how Jadeja goes about his business, and I feel he can provide a similar role to the Australian team. He is very good at working out his strengths and limitations,” Panesar was quoted as saying by the Sportskeeda.

The left-arm spinner spent some valuable time with O’Keefe and youngster Matt Renshaw at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane. Panesar who is well aware of what to expect from the Indian pitches gave them advice on the kind surfaces they might encounter in India and trained them on playing on Indian pitches. Panesar stressed on the fact that O’ Keefe could come in very handy for the visitors once they travel to India. Cricket Australia has advised the spinner to skip the BBL matches in order to concentrate on the Indian tour.

During an interaction with Times of India, Panesar also revealed that Glenn Maxwell might add the much-needed stability in India with his ability to bowl 10-15 overs whenever needed. The hard-hitter is also capable of changing the complexion of the match with his audacious strokeplay if he gets going.

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O’Keefe will be really happy to have spent some quality time with Monty Panesar who has performed very well especially in sub-continental conditions. But with due respect to O’Keefe, it will take something very special from him to replicate the performance of Ravindra Jadeja who is currently the World No.2 bowler just behind his partner Ravichandran Ashwin. Both have been lethal in Indian conditions and the Aussie spinners have to bowl out of their skins to match their Indian counterparts.