All posts by h716a5.icu

A calculated charge from Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard amid indisciplined bowling from Royal Challengers Bangalore set up Mumbai Indians’ victory

The Report by Abhishek Purohit06-May-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details8:46

Hattangadi: Pollard, Starc must be punished

A calculated charge from Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard amid indisciplined bowling from Royal Challengers Bangalore set up Mumbai Indians’ victory, their second on the trot at home. Rohit and Pollard came together at 84 for 4 in the tenth over and accelerated late to add 97 in the next ten. Combined with 25 extras, including 12 wides, it was well beyond Royal Challengers’ reach, though they had reached 94 for 1 in the tenth over. Harbhajan Singh then claimed Chris Gayle for 38, and Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers went soon after as the visitors’ challenge melted away.With one side of the ground smaller than the other, and a furiously quick outfield, both sides wanted to chase, and Royal Challengers did. Mumbai Indians’ top order of Ben Dunk, CM Gautam and Ambati Rayudu could not really get going on a pitch with pace and bounce, but the numerous extras served up by the Royal Challengers quick bowlers ensured the run-rate stayed reasonably high. The visitors hit back with quick wickets as the halfway mark of the innings approached, when Pollard joined Rohit.Rohit Sharma accelerated to hit an unbeaten 59 off 35•BCCIWith only Aditya Tare and the bowlers to come, the pair was forced to play cautiously for some time. The first five overs of the partnership produced only 29, despite some poor fielding. With about six overs left, Rohit and Pollard gradually opened up. Amid throwing his bat at Mitchell Starc in an ugly flare-up, Pollard contributed 43 off 31.Rohit cut loose in the penultimate over bowled by Varun Aaron. A couple of top-edges flew fine for six, there was a straight hit for four and a sliced six over deep cover as 24 came off the over. Rohit lofted Starc for four over extra cover off the last ball of the innings to surge to 59 off 35 as Mumbai Indians ended on 187 for 5.Gayle and Parthiv Patel responded with an opening stand of 53 in five overs. Parthiv did the early running before Gayle took Pawan Suyal for four successive boundaries in the third over. Rohit turned to Harbhajan, and after a quiet opening over, the offspinner had Parthiv bowled on the slog-sweep off the first ball of his second.Gayle wasn’t done yet. He swung Harbhajan for consecutive boundaries in the same over. Rohit persisted with Harbhajan, who sent down a tight third over. Harbhajan was given a fourth on the trot, the first four balls of which went for 12. Gayle attempted a slog-sweep off the fifth, missed and was bowled for 38 off 24.In walked de Villiers and calmly reverse-paddled Harbhajan first ball for four. When Mumbai Indians reprieved both batsmen in the space of four deliveries, it seemed the chances could cost them. Royal Challengers needed 72 off the last eight with Kohli and de Villiers looking good.However, de Villiers was bowled in the 13th over, missing after having backed too far across to Jasprit Bumrah. Kohli swatted Suyal straight to long-off in the next over. The asking-rate climbed rapidly now. Pollard ran out Yuvraj Singh, and though Rilee Rossouw tried, Royal Challengers had ceded too much ground with all those extras.

Sanjay Patel, the BCCI secretary, has said the appointment of Ravi Shastri as the Indian team’s director of cricket was a “corrective” measure

Nagraj Gollapudi19-Aug-2014Sanjay Patel, the BCCI secretary, has said the appointment of Ravi Shastri as the Indian team’s director, and the reshuffle in the coaching structure, was a “corrective” measure to arrest the waning spirits among the players in England. Patel also made it clear that despite India suffering heavy defeats in the last three Tests in England, the BCCI was not thinking of replacing the captain MS Dhoni and the coach Duncan Fletcher.Though the decision to put Shastri in charge of the team, and temporarily replace bowling and fielding coaches Joe Dawes and Trevor Penney with Indian staff, was taken by the BCCI, Patel said Dhoni and Fletcher were on board. “I conveyed the BCCI decision to both of them. Dhoni readily agreed and even Duncan has not said a word here or there.””The team is with Ravi Shastri. Now it is his baby,” Patel told ESPNcricinfo. “He will handle everything. If he asks me for any help I will extend.”Shastri’s appointment was suggested by Patel, who spoke to the former India allrounder before proposing his name to the BCCI office bearers. When asked if Shastri was the only candidate discussed, Patel said he had the necessary credentials. “We looked at all options. I must appreciate that Ravi Shastri readily agreed to work in the interests of the Indian team. I asked him, ‘This is a challenge, Ravi.’ He said, ‘Sure Sanjay, we can work out something.'”Patel did not elaborate on Shastri’s responsibilities or the division of duties between him and Fletcher. “He will do everything that is required for the team,” Patel said. “They (Shastri and Fletcher) will decide the roles between themselves.”When asked what led the BCCI to create a position that had not existed before, Patel said the board felt the players would need some sort of rejuvenation after losing the Test series 3-1.”We wanted to see what was wrong with the boys. We have full faith in all our players. To support the Indian team, this was the best option to start with. You mean to say our boys do not know how to play cricket. But mentally the players could have been upset. So we wanted to appoint someone who could also work on the mental conditioning. We felt Ravi’s experience on field and off field, and his long tenure in cricket as a ex-captain and now commentator, were handy.”India’s loss in all the major overseas Test series under Fletcher’s watch has sparked an outcry from former India captains and selectors to sack him. Patel did not speculate about Fletcher’s future. “It is premature to discuss,” he said. “Right now the situation through which the Indian team is going, we have taken the first step. We are not thinking beyond that. After the completion of this tour we will review everything and then decide further action if required.”When asked if there had been any pressure from within the BCCI to think about a replacement for Dhoni as captain, Patel said: “Not at all. Our full support is with him for the entire series. I am absolute about that. I have told him that I have complete faith in him. The rest of the decisions will be taken by selection committee.”Patel also said it was incorrect to conclude Dawes and Penney had been sacked. “You cannot say that right now. We have not discussed anything about their contracts. We have just asked them to step aside. They can go on holiday, or go back home. They can even come to India if they want.” Dawes and Penny were replaced by R Sridhar, B Arun and Sanjay Bangar.The contracts for Fletcher, Dawes and Penney had been renewed as recently as April, when they travelled to Chennai to meet Patel, N Srinivasan, the suspended BCCI president, along with senior board officials. “Under the current situation we felt corrective steps were required,” Patel said. “Even if I had taken a decision few months ago but if it was needed to change that now, there is nothing wrong.”

Which alterations could the Super Eagles boss make for Tuesday’s make or break World Cup qualifier?

GettyNigeria vs Ghana

Friday’s goalless encounter between these West African giants has set up a hugely-awaited decider in Abuja on Tuesday, with observers closer to finding out which nation will be in Qatar later this year.

Nigeria boss Augustine Eguavoen may have seemed somewhat pleased with the 0-0 result, even though he still hinted a win could have been claimed at the Baba Yara Stadium.

Having assessed Friday’s performance, GOAL suggests tweaks the trainer could make for the reverse fixture.

AdvertisementBackpagepixFrank Onyeka

While there would be a temptation to play Peter Etebo instead, the Watford midfielder’s lack of match sharpness means Eguavoen should opt for the Brentford man from the start.

Whether the trainer selects Onyeka from the off remains to be seen, yet there is unlikely to be another Innocent Bonke experiment owing to the defensive midfielder’s underwhelming showing and subsequent injury in Kumasi.

GettyMore minutes for Ademola Lookman

Having waited so long before introducing the Leicester City winger on Friday, Lookman has to start in the reverse fixture.

The RB Leipzig loanee not only offers his aggressive ball carrying and dribbling ability, but he backs that up with the all-important end product.

With Samuel Chukwueze a doubt for Tuesday, Lookman should be trusted from the off for his home debut.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Watford.Start Emmanuel Dennis

Kelechi Iheanacho may have fashioned Nigeria’s best chance of the night at the Baba Yara Stadium, but he offered little else for the remainder of the game.

Admittedly, it could be a risk playing Dennis and Victor Osimhen in tandem up front, so Eguavoen may alternatively choose to introduce the Watford man for Moses Simon from the start.

Bangladesh Women first scored their highest Twenty20 total, then upended Sri Lanka’s Women’s steadily progressing chase, to steal a three-run win – their first in the World T20

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Apr-2014
ScorecardPanna Ghosh’s three-for helped Bangladesh come out on top after scoring their best T20I total•ICCBangladesh Women first scored their highest Twenty20 total, then upended Sri Lanka’s Women’s steadily progressing chase, to steal a three-run win – their first in the World T20.This was the two teams’ last match of the tournament, and Bangladesh chose to bat. They tended to lose wickets in pairs all through the innings, but with Rumana Ahmed – who came in in the seventh over – holding up one end in a brisk, unbeaten innings of 41, they were able to make their way to their record total.However, when Sri Lanka were 67 for 2 and needed just about a run a ball, it looked like even that would not be enough. That’s when the set Yasoda Mendis was run out, and Bangladesh didn’t let the opening go to waste. Medium pacer Panna Ghosh struck twice in the 15th over, and with the required rate rising, Bangladesh applied the squeeze, striking in every over from the 18th onwards. Sri Lanka managed only two boundaries in these last overs, and Bangladesh held their nerve to pull off the heist.

A round-up of IPL-related news on April 27, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Apr-2014Ricky Ponting in Mumbai camp
Ricky Ponting, the former Australia captain, has joined the Mumbai Indians in an “advisory role”. Ponting was a part of the Mumbai team that won the IPL last year, and he had even led the side in a few matches before the current captain Rohit Sharma took over.”I am looking forward to working with Mumbai Indians once again,” Ponting said.”I had a fantastic season last summer and understand how passionate our players are towards the franchise. I believe we have the fire in us and we will strive hard to put our best.”Ponting will be with Mumbai for their last two matches in the UAE.Bookies barred from venues
A list of bookies has been forwarded to the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) by the IPL governing council to ensure the suspects are kept out of the venues and from the team hotels. Not that the bookies need to operate from a particular location but even the UAE government has taken steps to deny visas to people on the list who are wanting to travel to the country.”We’ve given them a list of bookies and the cooperation from the UAE cricket board and government has been excellent. Sheikh Nahyan has been very helpful in ensuring smooth conduct and success of the IPL. We’re immensely thankful to him,” Ranjib Biswal, the chairman of the IPL Governing Council, was quoted in the .Johnson, the leader
After a dream run over the last twelve months starting with the Mumbai Indians’ triumphant IPL 2013 campaign, Mitchell Johnson has returned to the Twenty20 league as one of the senior players in the Kings XI Punjab line-up. And Johnson had been preparing for the leadership role in his new franchise even before he joined the team.”Yes, that is something I had thought about doing before coming here and I spoke to the team about taking up that role as a senior international player. These young guys coming through are willing to learn and are very good listeners,” Johnson told . “I remember what I was like when I was their age – you look up to the senior guys for a bit of advice. Sandeep (Sharma) went for a couple of boundaries in his last over (18th of the innings) and I told him, ‘Just keep sticking to your guns’ because that’s how you learn to overcome situations. If I can keep helping the young guys, we will keep winning like this.”With four wins in as many games, Kings XI Punjab have emerged as the team to beat in the initial phase of the IPL’s seventh edition. The results haven’t surprised Johnson. “I remember sitting around with the Australian team on our tour to South Africa, watching the IPL auction. When it came to an end, I actually said that this seems like a very well-balanced and all-round side. It seems to be going on that way for us at the moment,” he said. “We’ve had some very good wins and tonight’s was one of the better ones. On that Abu Dhabi wicket, I think we pretty much got a par score and it was always going to be tough batting second on it. We’ve been sticking to our guns and have been going really well.”Maxwell’s energy infectious
Virender Sehwag has been considered as one with the most positive impact in all the dressing rooms he has been a part of. But when it comes to the Kings XI Punjab set-up, Sehwag feels Glenn Maxwell takes the cake as far as the positive impact is concerned.”It is great to have Maxwell with us in the team. After the match, he forgets what he did on the field, and is very humble,” Sehwag told the . “His positive energy is infectious, and he loves to play golf and goof around. It’s a great atmosphere in the dressing room with Maxwell being there.With 294 runs in four innings, Maxwell has emerged as the story of the tournament. His scores of 95, 89 and 95 in Kings XI Punjab’s first three matches helped the team from Mohali cruise past their opponents and top the points table. Even though Maxwell perished for 15 against Kolkata Knight Riders, the Kings continued their winning run thanks to an all-round bowling effort.

Jammu and Kashmir have reached the Ranji Trophy knockouts for the first time in over a decade, and face a tough challenge to go any further, in the form of a talented and in-form Punjab side

The Preview by Devashish Fuloria in Vadodara07-Jan-2014As soon as you enter the Laxmi Vilas Palace estate in Baroda, the thick cover of green cuts you off from sounds of the city. The dirt road that resembles a national park track winds past a palace, a golf course and a museum before opening up into a lush expanse called the Moti Baug cricket ground.A line of trees circumscribes the outfield and the chirping of birds is all you hear. If the calmness of the place still doesn’t hit you, there is also a (masoleum) next to the newly-built dressing rooms. Peacocks can be spotted and cranes have flown in from somewhere north, just like teams from Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir, the only ones playing the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals at a neutral venue. No fog here. No haze either. It’s a tranquil setting for a five-day match.J&K’s entry into the knockouts was anything but tranquil. Goa’s win against Andhra on New Year ‘s Day threatened to pip J&K to the second quarterfinal berth but Parvez Rasool and Co worked out their calculations and produced the goods the next day, to beat Goa in a photo finish – by a thousandth of a point.”It’s even more important to build [on the positives] as this is a good Punjab side and then we will be in Pool B next year,” Rasool said. “Everyone’s contributing. Three or four of our bowlers have more than 20 wickets, some batsmen have scored more than 350 runs. In the past, only one or two players used to perform and that didn’t really help the team. But this time, everyone is in good touch.”The challenge for J&K in Moti Baug is not easy. Punjab, who finished second in a tough draw ahead of teams like Delhi and Mumbai, are loaded with experience and talent.”It’s a quarterfinal,” Harbhajan Singh, who returns as the captain of the side, said. “We have played some good cricket and we don’t want to look at the opposition, who they are, where they come from. They have reached this level, so they must have done something good. Whether it’s J&K or Mumbai, you have to play well to beat any team in this competition.”Harbhajan sounded confident of his team’s chances given their all-round strength. On a pitch that is likely to aid seamers, Punjab will have the services of Manpreet Gony and the returning VRV Singh while their batting is solid with the presence of Jiwanjot Singh, Manan Vohra, Mandeep Singh and Yuvraj Singh.”We wanted to give him [VRV] a break, because he was coming from a major back surgery,” Harbhajan said. “So we didn’t want to put too much load on him. But from here onwards, we need him more often and he will be playing tomorrow. So is Gony, who was rested in the last game.”It’s great to see guys like Manan Vohra and Jiwanjot backing up their performances from last year, especially Jiwanjot. Manan Vohra is one of the top opening batsman I have seen in the recent past; he is not afraid to hit the ball and he has a good technique too. It was quite a challenging wicket where he scored 187 (against Jharkhand). Sandeep Sharma is another who has taken a lot of wickets. I hope they play for the country in the years to come.”Harbhajan himself hasn’t played too many matches – in the three games this season, he has picked up 18 wickets – but wants to make an impression. Faith, as the tattoo on his right hand says, is keeping him going. “Every game is an opportunity to do something really special, to keep knocking on the door,” he said. “Hopefully, I’ll get where I want to be.”For the next few days though, Moti Baug is all that will matter for Harbhajan. Mohammad Azharuddin once smacked the then fastest ODI century here, but in recent past, the pitch has been more of a bowlers’ haven. All three matches this season had results; in one of them, as many as 35 wickets fell in two days. There is a provision of a sixth day to get an outright result for the quarter-final but it’s hard to see the match lasting that long.

Sri Lanka Cricket’s Executive Committee has made a unanimous decision to support the governance, finance and FTP changes in the ICC at its meeting on February 17

Sa'adi Thawfeeq18-Feb-2014Sri Lanka Cricket’s Executive Committee has made a unanimous decision to support the governance, finance and FTP changes in the ICC, which were proposed by the BCCI, ECB and CA, at its meeting on February 17. SLC had refrained from voting on the revised proposals at the ICC Board meeting in Singapore, saying it needed more time to discuss them.”The Executive Committee met today at SLC headquarters to converse regarding the revised resolutions forwarded by the ICC at the ICC Board meeting held on February 8 in Singapore,” the SLC said. “Subsequent to the committee members assessing the revised resolutions in detail, all members were satisfied with the amendments made in the areas of governance and competition models and thus unanimously decided to support the paper.”There had been fears that Sri Lanka might get isolated by India, England and Australia because they did not support the proposals straightaway in Singapore, but SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga allayed them.”Since we have been very clear and precise in our communications they are respecting us,” Ranatunga said. “They all respect our views and we have a better understanding among each other.”Ranatunga said that once the proposals were passed at the ICC’s annual meeting in June there will be no FTP and only bilateral agreements between countries. “So we need to understand the importance of having tours with India, England and Australia.”He said that for the next seven years Sri Lanka were due to get an income of $60 million from bilateral tours, and out of this figure, one Indian tour for one month would bring $28m, one England tour $12m and one Australian tour $7-8m.”When you calculate, a series with these three countries will bring us a revenue of $47-48m. If we are going to object to their proposals our cricket is going to suffer,” Ranatunga said. “People who talk about principles and all that will not give us the money. We have to make our money from these tours.”When any other country comes for a full tour we bear the same cost to host them but the returns are very small compared to the other three countries.”India is due to tour Sri Lanka in 2017 amd Ranatunga was hopeful that the FTP drawn up till 2018 will not be affected.”SLC is confident that they can go ahead with the tours they have planned so far. We are in the process of negotiating for more tours with other countries.”

Shitanshu Kotak, the veteran Saurashtra batsman, will end his two-decade long first-class career after his side’s Ranji Trophy opener against Rajasthan on his home ground in Rajkot later this month

Abhishek Purohit18-Oct-2013Shitanshu Kotak, the veteran Saurashtra batsman, will end his two-decade long first-class career after his side’s Ranji Trophy opener against Rajasthan on his home ground in Rajkot later this month. Kotak, who turns 41 on Saturday, will call time on a career that began against Bombay in December 1992. He has played 129 matches so far and is four short of 8000 first-class runs with an average of 41.64 and 15 centuries.Kotak told ESPNcricinfo he had thought of retirement after Saurashtra’s run to the Ranji final last season but postponed it in the emotion of the moment. “I felt the team had done so well to reach the final,” he said. “It was a superb achievement and I did not want to take away from it with talk of my retirement.”But now I feel the time has come to make way for someone young. It is a good time to go. There are so many youngsters around to take the team ahead. I would like to thank the Saurashtra Cricket Association and Mr Niranjan Shah for all the support throughout my career. To have played for so long and not be dropped, I could not have asked for more. I would like to remain associated with the game in whatever manner possible after retirement. I will have a chat with Mr Shah and my association and plan the way forward. I would also like to thank my employers, Bharat Petroleum, for allowing me so much flexibility to play domestic cricket, even when it clashed with corporate matches.”Many veteran first-class cricketers move on from their home states to play for other sides as professionals, but Kotak said he could somehow never bring himself to take that path. “I would not say I didn’t think about it. In fact, there were some offers as well. I have nothing against those who play as professionals. It means a lot of money and respect. But I have played for Saurashtra for so long that I could not imagine myself playing for some other team. I have played for the same company and the same club as well for close to 20 years. “Saurashtra’s entry into the Ranji final last season is one of Kotak’s most cherished memories. “There are so many things to remember. Last year’s final is of course one of them. Also, Saurashtra winning the domestic one-day championship (in 2007-08) and qualifying for the Elite League from the Plate League.”When asked if there was any temptation to play one more season after seeing Saurashtra fall at the last hurdle previous season, Kotak said that would always be the case. “That feeling will be there,” he said. “But some day I had to take the call. Some day, it had to come to an end. I will still play for Bharat Petroleum in the Times Shield and league cricket in England. But this is it as far as first-class cricket goes.”Not being able to play for India wasn’t a regret, Kotak said, although he would have loved to have won the Ranji Trophy. “Every player wants to play for his country. That could not happen for me, but that is not a regret. Maybe I was not destined to. We played the Ranji final last year against a better team (Mumbai). Had we played in Rajkot, it could have been a different game. But even then, I would say the better team won on the day.”Known for his ability to bat for long periods and stonewall bowling attacks, Kotak was part of Saurashtra’s transformation from a weak side to a unit that is now a force in domestic cricket. He said he had seen the team change completely in the previous two decades. “To think that we now have as many as three people playing for India (Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravindra Jadeja and Jaydev Unadkat). It is a tremendous achievement. We have come a long way.”Kotak said first-class cricket in India had changed for the better, chiefly in terms of money and exposure. “It is possible now for a domestic cricketer to settle himself somewhat financially over a career of say, ten years. More than money, I think there has been a drastic improvement in the exposure domestic cricketers get. Earlier, even if you did well, people would talk about it for two-three days, and then forget about you, especially if you played for a smaller team. Now, it is not possible for people to ignore you if you do well. Performances get noticed.”While Kotak will miss the Saurashtra dressing room, he will get more time to play with his son. Kotak giving throwdowns to the 12-year old was a common sight after the end of a day’s play in Rajkot. “That is definitely a positive outcome. Otherwise, he would have complained I was never able to give him enough time.”

On a day when Brendon McCullum shattered New Zealand batting records, coach Craig McMillan has described him as the most destructive batsman to have played for his country

Andrew Fidel Fernando at Hagley Oval26-Dec-2014On a day when Brendon McCullum shattered New Zealand batting records, coach Craig McMillan has described him as the most destructive batsman to have played for his country.McCullum’s hundred off 74 balls bettered his own record from the last Test match he played, in Sharjah. His innings strike rate of 145.52 was the highest for any innings greater than 150, in matches for which the number of balls have been recorded. He also scored 26 off one Suranga Lakmal over, equaling the New Zealand record that McMillan had himself set, in 2001.”The man is an x-factor player,” McMillan said of McCullum. “He has the ability to dominate and dismantle bowlers and change the tempo and the way an innings is heading very quickly. I think he’s the most destructive and domineering player to play for New Zealand, certainly that I’ve seen.”I don’t think I’ve got enough superlatives to describe that innings today. I thought it would be hard to beat what he did in Sharjah, which was a pretty special innings as well.”McCullum has had a prolific 2014, in which he has now hit a triple-ton, two double-hundreds and this 195, to amass 1164 runs in the year, at an average of 72.75. Those runs have also come quickly, at a strike rate of over 72, but McMillan suggested it was improved judgement that has seen him transform a Test batting record that had him averaging 35.21 before the start of this year.”One of the keys to his performance in Test match cricket over the last 12-18 months is the work he’s done on his defence. That might sound a little bit crazy when he’s belting the ball around the park as he has, but I think he’s tightened up in certain areas of his game, and kept the good balls out. When he gets any chance to score – and for McCullum the margins are so small for the bowlers – he really punishes you and makes you pay. We know he plays all around the wicket and has all the shots, but his option-taking, based around a sound defence, has taken his game to another level.”McMillan also reserved praise for James Neesham, who was involved in a 153-run fifth-wicket stand with McCullum, which came from just 117 balls. Neesham went on to make 85 from 80, but had been helped along by McCullum’s marathon assault, McMillan said.”James has been short of runs in that last tour, and today was a really important knock for him, just to see the confidence seeping back into his system. Batting with Brendon almost dragged him along and gave him the confidence to perhaps be a little more expressive.”It was probably the perfect situation for him to come to the crease and see McCullum at the other end. That just gives you confidence, regardless of how you’re playing, when you see someone at the other end make it look so easy, and playing the shots that Brendon was playing. I’m sure in their chat between overs, Brendon would have been relaying confidence to James, just to be nice and proactive, and to show good intent. And I think we saw that from him today. It was a really good innings and one that we needed from him.”New Zealand’s 429 for 7 – the fourth highest aggregate amassed on a single day in New Zealand – was lapped up by an 8000 strong Christchurch crowd. McMillan described it as the perfect way to reintroduce the city to Test cricket after an 11-year hiatus, during which the city has been through the trauma of two major earthquakes.”I think it has to sit right at the top, to be honest. It was a special day. A day of highlights. I think it was the kind of day that this venue and this city deserved, with what they’ve gone through over the last five years. Even in your wildest dreams you wouldn’t have picked a day of Test cricket like that, especially when the pitch is a little on the green side, and you lose the toss early on.”He also expected the surface to retain plenty of spice for when Sri Lanka bat, most likely on the second day. “We saw in that last over from Angelo Mathews that the ball is still seaming. The onus will go on our bowlers to hit the right lengths and attack the stumps. I think right throughout this game, there will be something there for the bowlers. There’s going to be pace and carry. The ball didn’t swing a lot today, but there’s certainly seam movement.”

Like last year, there is only a three-day break between the Adelaide and Perth Tests, but Siddle is hopeful he will be able to walk out with the team at the WACA this time around

Brydon Coverdale29-Nov-20130:00

Siddle: We don’t need a rest

If there was one image that signified Australia’s disappointment against South Africa last summer, it was the sight of Peter Siddle on his haunches at the end of the Adelaide Test. Depleted, dejected and, he later admitted, “a little bit delirious”, Siddle had delivered 63.5 overs in the match, the most by any Australia fast bowler this century. Australia fell two wickets short of a win, Siddle’s body couldn’t handle another Test four days later, and South Africa took the series with victory in Perth.Twelve months later, Siddle is preparing to return to the venue of his most exhausting Test experience, but in happier circumstances. Australia are 1-0 up in an Ashes series and Siddle’s workload in the first Test – 26.4 overs – is a vast improvement on the 53 he sent down at the Gabba last year. A four-day win in Brisbane also allowed an extra day of rest ahead of Adelaide, and all the Test fast men have sat out of the ongoing round of Sheffield Shield matches.There is always the chance of a fast bowler breaking down in Adelaide, as James Pattinson did early in last year’s match, but Siddle has his fingers crossed for a slightly easier time. Like last year, there is only a three-day break between the Adelaide and Perth Tests, but Siddle is hopeful he will be able to walk out with the team at the WACA this time around.”Going over to Adelaide you never expect a light workload,” Siddle said in Melbourne on Friday. “It’s always going to be hard work. Hopefully this year everyone’s fit. We’ve come off a lighter workload as a bowling unit so hopefully everyone gets through and there’s no hiccups at the start of the game [which would mean] a couple of us have to have big outings.”It’s about how you’re feeling, and I think we’re the biggest judge of that … We judge it in the end, like I did in Perth last year and said I wasn’t up to it. That’s the same thing that will happen around now no doubt. The selectors will pick the best team that’s 100% fit for that Test match … I couldn’t [back up] last time but we’d had a big workload earlier on. This time, it’s obviously been a lot lighter. We’ve just got to play it by ear.”Peter Siddle delivered 63.5 overs in Adelaide last year and missed the following Test•Getty ImagesThe one unknown this time is the new Adelaide Oval surface: for the first time in the venue’s 128-year Test history, a drop-in pitch will be used. Two Sheffield Shield matches have been played on the drop-ins this summer and the initial signs are not encouraging for fast bowlers. Across the two matches, spin bowlers have collectively taken 28 wickets at 41.39, while fast bowlers have tallied only 23 victims at 57.08. No fast bowler has taken more than three in an innings.Two matches is a small sample size, of course, and the second of those games – both draws – was getting close to a result when time ran out on the fourth afternoon. Johan Botha, the South Australia captain, said the pitch was “getting towards a result wicket, but you would still probably want a little more out of it on day one and two instead of losing only three or four wickets”. Siddle and his colleagues can expect plenty of hard work.”It doesn’t matter who you’re playing or what game it is over there, whether it’s a one-dayer or a Test match, it’s always tight,” Siddle said. “It is a tough ground to play at; the wicket can get pretty flat to bat on. But sometimes it can get a bit of turn, so the spinner will play a part. We don’t know what’s going to happen with these drop-ins, but hopefully it’s a good cricket wicket all round, the bowlers get a bit out of it and the batters can have a bit of fun out there.”We all saw Mitch bowl over in India on flatter wickets than we’re probably going to get in Adelaide and the pace and bounce he had on those wickets. We don’t know what’s going to be prepared for us. We’ll get over there, we’ll assess the wicket and see what plans we’ll go with.”Australia are expected to use the same attack in Adelaide as they did at the Gabba, although there is the chance of bringing in the allrounder James Faulkner for George Bailey as an extra bowling option. While Faulkner has a strong chance of playing some part in this Ashes series, Pattinson appears unlikely to take on England, despite the news that he will make his return from injury this weekend in club cricket in Melbourne.Pattinson is on the comeback trail from a back stress fracture and will turn out for Dandenong this weekend, though it will be as a batsman only. Cricket Australia’s general manager of team performance, Pat Howard, said on Friday that Pattinson had a carefully planned programme for the coming month, after which his fitness would be reassessed, and he was not expected to play any Sheffield Shield cricket until the new year.