After two matches in the series, the Indian fast bowlers can breathe easier with the spotlight shifting to their Australian counterparts. If India's fast men were the weak link going into the series, the death overs have indeed spelt doom for the Australian quicks.MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina took 108 in the last 10 overs in Nagpur - Australia's worst showing since 1999 - and the 82 conceded in the last eight overs in the previous match in Vadodara was their sixth-worst.
The absence of Brett Lee (who didn't bowl his quota in Vadodara and was injured in Nagpur) and Nathan Bracken is telling. More incriminating than the figures is the manner in which the runs have come. Fulltosses, leg-side wides, half-volleys, length deliveries, and misfields have all made the job easier for India.
Ricky Ponting was honest in assessing the problems he faces. "Since [Glenn] McGrath has moved on, we have mixed and matched with a lot of different guys over the last few years," he said after Wednesday's defeat. "The last ten overs - 108 off the last ten - is too many to give away. When you have batsmen at the crease who can strike the ball as well as the Indians can, you only have to be a few centimetres or a few inches off your execution, and you are going to go."
Since McGrath's retirement, 18 bowlers have bowled in the last ten overs for Australia, and among those who have managed to put in 20 overs or more, only James Hopes, Lee and Mitchell Johnson have gone at under seven per over. Hopes has given away an impressive 222 off 239 balls bowled in the last ten overs of an innings. Hopes and Lee were missing in Nagpur and Johnson a last-minute inclusion. Ponting made no bones about how much Lee was missed in the current line-up. "He is one of the leading fast bowlers in one-day cricket. His form over the last few weeks has been particularly good. To have that kind of strike power up your sleeve is quite nice."
0 comments:
Post a Comment