Opener Chris Rogers has creditted coach Darren Lehmann for turning the Australian team's fortunes around, and said it was a "watershed moment" when "Boof" helped the players to remember that playing cricket for a living was actually pretty fun.
Lehmann, who took over from Mickey Arthur ahead of the 2013 Ashes series in England, called a team meeting in Taunton to prepare for of the opening tour match against Somerset.
Recalling the team meeting, Rogers said Lehmann asked for a stop watch and made it clear that no meeting will ever go beyond half an hour during his reign.
Once the 30 minutes finished, Lehmann and the entire team crossed over to a pub, where skipper Michael Clarke paid for the drinks.
Rogers said drinkers at the pub were incredulous at the sight of the Australian squad sitting down to a beer, and added, it was one of those moments where players realised that they can actually enjoy this.
Speaking to RSN Radio, Rogers said at that moment the guys just seemed to relax, the weight was off their shoulders, and Lehmann was instrumental in turning around Australia's fortunes, primarily because he had a plan, and was clear about which players he wanted in the team.
Lehmann offered clear direction and honest feedback, and could be ruthless in his pursuit of excellence. One example was to lay down the law to batsman David Warner after his late-night altercation with English batsman Joe Root.
Rogers quoted Lehmann as saying to Warner that "you have got one more chance, if you ruin this, that's it, you're gone."
Rogers said Lehmann had also introduced several initiatives to keep the mood light among the playing group. Before the first, third and fifth day of a Test match, someone is chosen to tell the "joke of the day" during warm-ups, news.com.au reports.
A smart gold jacket is presented to Australia's man of the match, while "a sporty pink blazer" is presented to the player who has performed extra over the course of the week.
Rogers said another initiative was to ensure players did not disperse immediately after stumps so that they can discuss about their game.
