Australia’s unprecedented home Test series defeat to India in 2018-19 served as a “wake-up call” for Justin Langer, who reckons the series will prove as the defining moment of his coaching career.
Langer was appointed Australia coach in May 2018, following the infamous ball-tampering scandal that saw skipper Steve Smith and his deputy David Warner slapped with year-long bans. Without their star batsmen, the Australians struggled.
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And, Australia tasted its first Test series loss to India on home turf. Virat Kohli’s men handed Australia a 2-1 defeat.
“That was a massive wake-up call and a really tough time in my life,” Langer was quoted as saying by the Australian Associated Press on a podcast.
“In 10 years’ time, I will look back on that period and it will be the making of my coaching career,” he said.
Langer compared it to another difficult phase of his life, when he was dropped as player at the start of 2001 Ashes.
“In 2001 when I was dropped from the Australian team at 31 years of age, I thought that was the end. That was the making of me as a cricketer and a person. It was amazing what lessons you can learn in adversity,” he said.
