Low profile, high impact

Australia's spin consultant Sridharan Sriram, who has been credited for Steeve O'Keefe's sensational performance in the first Test against India, feels it's not the name of a coach but his inputs that earn him respect from players.

Sriram, who played eight ODIs for India during early part of the last decade, is considered the guiding force behind left-arm spinner O'Keefe's match-winning figures of 12 for 70 in Australia's 333-run win in the first Test against India.

"I don't think the name really matters, does it? I mean, I come in and if I talk sense they listen to me. It's as simple as that," Sriram said.

"I think it's taken time... they have really been open. That's the best thing about this Australian team. They have been open to listening first. And then obviously I made sense a little bit and they started listening and they started trying out things in the nets.”

Asked what exactly did O'Keefe change, Sriram said: "Not necessarily change, more I would use the word adapt. Because India is such a big country, there's no one-stop solution. If you say 'this will work', it is not going to work. So you have just got to adapt on the go. You have got to see what works for you on that day.

"And so I think that's where O'Keefe really scored, because he was well-prepared. He was prepared to experiment, he was prepared to sort of try different things in the nets. So, I think he knew that he had to come with an open mind for every day of a Test Match. What works on Day One may not work on day three. He knows that. I think that's his biggest strength," said Sriram.