Lehmann impresses Warne and Hussain

Former leg-spinner Shane Warne lauded the positive influence of head coach Darren Lehmann, after Australia secured a thorough 381-run triumph over England on day four of the first Test at the Gabba in Brisbane on Sunday.
Former leg-spinner Shane Warne lauded the positive influence of head coach Darren Lehmann, after Australia secured a thorough 381-run triumph over England on day four of the first Test at the Gabba in Brisbane on Sunday.
Fine centuries from opener David Warner and skipper Michael Clarke and a Man of the Match haul of nine wickets from fast bowler Mitchell Johnson afforded the hosts a crucial one-nil lead in the five-match affair.
Lehmann, who succeeded the ousted Mickey Arthur, welcomed a maiden victory in the Ashes series – after enduring a three-nil defeat in the United Kingdom earlier this year.
"Towards the end of the Ashes series you just started to see the guys smile a bit more and that was Darren's influence," Warne told <i>Sky Sports</i>.
"He was a guy who liked to have fun – he wasn't hard about the massive preparations and all that sort of stuff. Some of the things he has brought in, in combination with Clarke, has been fantastic.
"If you have a happy dressing room and you're a happy cricketer, it shows out on the field. "This one for Australia was important – to be in the contest they had to win the Test match."
Erstwhile English skipper Nasser Hussain, meanwhile, echoed Warne's sentiment – and acknowledged the importance of Warner's successful gameplan against spinner Graeme Swann.
Warner was consistently aggressive en route to 124 from just 154 balls, 13 boundaries and a solitary six included – and deployed attacking footwork and shot selection to the slow bowler.
"A lot of it has to do with the opposition. The confidence and the togetherness are unrecognisable from the team we saw in England, thanks to Lehmann," added Hussain.
"The tactics of the skipper were very good on the field, they looked like they were playing as a unit – Warner played Swann brilliantly. There are a lot of ticks in that Australia side, and not so many in the England side."
Latest
-
News
Jamie Overton falls just short of debut century for England in tight third Test
Overton was caught behind for 97 in the morning session.
-
News
Azeem Rafiq attends third day of Headingley Test as guest of Yorkshire
Rafiq enjoyed Saturday’s action from a balcony at the Pavilion End
-
News
Jamie Overton falls just short of debut Test century as England take narrow lead
Newcomer Overton was caught behind for 97.
-
News
George Scrimshaw holds final-over nerves to guide Derbyshire past Lancashire
Scrimshaw successfully defended the 10 runs in the final over.
-
England
Jonny Bairstow and England looking to ‘take the game forward’
Bairstow hit a run-a-ball hundred for the second Test in succession as England fought back spectacularly against New Zealand.
-
England
Jonny Bairstow century leads thrilling England fightback at Headingley
The Yorkshireman made 130 not out and put on 209 with debutant Jamie Overton to rescue his side from 55 for six against New Zealand.
-
England
England top order left in tatters as New Zealand gain upper hand at Headingley
The hosts were 93 for six in reply to New Zealand’s 329 all out.
-
New Zealand
Daryl Mitchell breaks record with another century against England
Mitchell broke Martin Donnelly’s New Zealand tally of 492 runs in a series in England, set back in 1949.
-
England
Superb James Vince ton leads Hampshire to shock win over Somerset
Sussex’s five-match losing streak came to an end with a 17-run win over Surrey.
-
England
Adil Rashid to miss England’s India white-ball series to make Mecca pilgrimage
Rashid has found it difficult to make the pilgrimage due to timings and commitments.