Australia 'bit scared' of India, says coach David Saker

New Delhi: Hardly any Australian team visiting India in the past has looked as timid as Steve Smith & Co on tour currently. More than the 1-4 defeat they have suffered in the ODI series, it's the body language of otherwise ever-aggressive Australians that has surprised cricket fans. The admission of that can be found in the words of stand-in coach David Saker, who believes the team is a "bit scared" of Virat Kohli's Team India.

"It's not mainly personnel, I think it's mainly just their mindset and where they are in their games. A lot of them are playing a little bit scared, which we try not to do. We try and make sure they play with a lot of freedom and express themselves as much as they can. But when you're losing, you play scared, you go insular and you start looking at number one. I think there are little bits of that," Saker told cricket.com.au.

But he ended his quote with a promise.

"It's not dramatic and we know we can fix that. I think the talent is there," Saker added.

Australia's ODI form, especially overseas, has been forgettable of late; and with the next World Cup in England, the Aussies will want to arrest the slide sooner than later.

"Obviously our away form has been quite dreadful, so we have to have a look at that. The next World Cup is away (from home). I don't think it's all doom and gloom; I think there's some talent in that team. But there's no doubt we have to probably re-jig a few things and see where we are," he said.

Ahead of the three-match T20I series, which begins October 7, the Australian squad will welcome fresh legs as Jason Behrendorff, Dan Christian, Moises Henriques, Tim Paine and AJ Tye arrive in India. Flying back home will be Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, James Faulkner and Hilton Cartwright.

"After a long tour, India can sometimes get you down and wear you down, but (by) getting five or six new guys into the squad after what's happened in the one-day series, we'll be really determined to bounce back," Saker said.

"Bringing almost half the squad in who haven't been here for the four weeks so far is going to be exciting. In Twenty20 cricket we're definitely going to go out there (to) express ourselves and have some fun."