McGrath said Australians need to iron out their issues against slow bowlers if they don't want a disaster in their tour of India.
Their frailties against quality spin attack badly exposed in Sri Lanka recently, pace bowling great Glenn McGrath on Tuesday said that the Australians will have to quickly sort out their issues against slow bowlers if they don't want a disaster in their tour of India to play four Tests in February-March next year.
"Especially with the way things went in Sri Lanka on turning wickets, they have got a lot of work to do between now and then. The Aussies will find it tough in India unless they turn things around pretty quickly," McGrath told reporters during a promotional event.
"They really get too defensive and look to survive. They need to find a way as a team or as an individual to cope with the turning wickets. They should have the intent to score runs. They just can't look to survive," he added.
Australia had a troubled Test series in Sri Lanka who coasted to a 3-0 sweep as the regular Aussie skipper Steve Smith made a sudden return to home, giving captaincy debut for David Warner.
Terming it a big disappointment, McGrath said: "I'm not sure about the exact reason behind Steve's going home early, whether he had niggles or something else. David Warner will enjoy the captaincy. I think they will play well once they go back to Australia."
With India series looming, the 46-year-old McGrath urged Smith and Co. to take a cue from Matthew Hayden who reinvented himself in the early 2000s and dominated in the spin-friendly conditions.
"You look back to 2001-04, Matthew Hayden decided to play the sweep shot. He played it really well and that's how he took on the bowling on turning wickets. Our batsmen need to find ways to score and not just look to survive on turning tracks," he said.
India will kick off their home season against New Zealand later this month as they go on to play 13 Tests, including against Australia, England and Bangladesh.
With the popularity of T20 cricket, Test matches may find it hard to fill up seats but McGrath strongly hoped the India-Australia Gavaskar-Border Trophy next year will revive the languishing longer version of the game.
"I think you will get good crowd when Australia are here, especially if India are winning. I think a lot of Indians like to see Australia getting beaten.
"Test cricket is still the ultimate and young people should hold it in high regard. I used to have concerns about T20 cricket and its impact in the game but I think it can have a positive impact by bringing new people into the game to watch it and to play. That might filter up to the Test level," said McGrath.
"You look at the guys like Virat, AB de Villiers, Steven Smith, Joe Roots, they are quality Test players and are also up there with the best in T20. You still need to be a quality batsman to succeed at T20 level too."
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Glenn McGrath")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}