India-Australia series is more focused on a few things: Can Sachin Tendulkar score his 100th century? Can Australian captain Michael Clarke lead the Australian team well enough? Can Team India win a series in Australia?
Clarke has shown his maturity after 2-0 lead in the series. His dominating knock of 329 not out, his surprising declaration and the wins has made him a hero in Australia.
Amongst all these discussions, a man is a hero behind the scene and I guess, no one has talked about him. I am talking about Australian bowling Coach Craig McDermott. It’s his troop which has rattled India, a team with world’s best batting line up, completely. Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus and James Pattioson have already sealed the show in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar trophy.
I remember watching McDermott at his best during his days. He was an aggressive fast bowler who loved hitting the deck. Hitting the deck technique was seen in the current Australian bowlers. Hit the deck around off stumps and the ball will do the rest: this was the theory that the Aussie bowlers applied.
Australians have started looking at Pattinson, a tall 21-year-old lad as an aggressive right arm fast bowler who is all set to go on the track of Glenn McGrath. I could see the pace, the movement and the temperament of the fast bowler. He has only played four Tests and has already taken 25 wickets.
He will be out of the next two matches because of knee injury. Is it good news for India? Obviously not because Ryan Harris is all set to be in the team.
During the second Test, I reached the Sydney Ground a bit early on first day to see the teams’ warm up sessions. I saw McDermott working with his troops, Siddle , Pattinson and Hilfenhaus. In the Melbourne Test, these bowlers took 18 wickets. They were all set to do the same at the Sydney Test and they did it again taking 19 wickets together.
If India were not bowled out for just 191 in the first innings of Syndey Test, the scenario would have been different. It’s the bowlers who have taken a centre stage in the ongoing series. I talked about Hilfenhaus in my previous article, where I wrote as a swing bowler he has made his place in the playing XI. Hilfenhaus’ selection was a bit of controversial in Australia but he has proven them wrong. He has already taken 15 wickets in this series. Siddle lead the troop in a matured and aggressive way, he looked a different bowler this summer, he pitched the ball on a good line and the pace was there.
Australia’s batsman Ricky Ponting , Clarke and Mike Hussey all are back in form. If we evaluate India’s performance everyone is struggling except Tendulkar. Tendulkar looked like of back in old days middling the ball well. The only negative thing that I saw in his inning was him switching the gear. Starting on a good pace from 100kmph and when he was about to reach 50 the pace came down to 10, again after 50 the pace went to 100, this switching of gear is not doing good for his consistency.
An old person was watching the match with me, his name was Watson and he was from New South Wales. He told me that he has never missed a single Test match at Sydney and that day he was there to see Tendulkar’s landmark century which unfortunately he couldn’t. He said he loved to see him play.
India is full of questions. VVS the very special batsman who had the ability to score against Australia seems a flop show. Will Rohit Sharma get a chance? What about Virat Kohli? And what about Ishant Sharma? They have done nothing yet.
As the series is still alive with two more Tests to go, both the team will face each other at Adelaide next. Adelaide has the fastest and bouncy pitch. India is waiting for Tendulkar’s century, McDermott and his troops will be waiting his wickets!
(Cricket Nepal’s special correspondent Sudin Pokharel is currently in Australia)
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great article sudin bro… hope to read many more in upcomimg days..