Spin will again play a big role, says Michael Clarke

March 1, 2013

Michael-Clarke

Hyderabad, Mar 1: Australian skipper Michael Clarke on Friday reckoned that spin will "again play a big role" in the second Test against India but was non-committal on whether he would go with an extra spinner or a fast bowler.

He felt the 22-yard strip at the Uppal Stadium was pretty "similar" to the one at Chepauk, where they were thrashed by eight wickets.

"There are a lot of similarities to the Chennai pitch in regards to the wicket. It looks as if it (pitch) was prepared quite early. It's going to be quite a dry and obviously spin will again play a big part. There will also be up and down bounce. I would be very surprised if India don't play with three spinners," Clarke told reporters on the eve of the second Test.

Clarke's decision to play to his team's strength backfired in Chennai and probably that's the reason why the New South Wales man preferred to keep the cards close to his chest.

"Let me have a look at the wicket and then I will sit with the selectors and decide on the XI. I will have to check whether playing an extra spinner will be a better option than playing an extra fast bowler. We want to assess the conditions well and then make sure that we select the best XI," he said.

Clarke, however, clarified that opener David Warner was fully fit and available for selection.

"You will see him playing again," he said with a smile. The stylish right-hander made no bones of the fact that just like the Indian team is comfortable playing in home conditions, the 'Baggy Greens' are an equally formidable opposition in their backyard.

"When you come to India, you know that the Indian team will be very comfortable because they play here on a regular basis. It's the same with the Australian team. We are very comfortable playing in our own backyard.

"The challenge is to make sure that you perform all over the world. Personally, this tour of India is a huge challenge for me as a captain. We have had a pretty consistent success rate in Australia and we want that to happen on overseas tours as well," he stated.

Clarke chose to defend Phillip Hughes, who had single digit scores in both innings.

"He got a really awkward delivery in the second innings as it jumped off the rough. He is working very hard just like others in the team. I am confident that our first five or six batsmen can score runs consistently."

He is undoubtedly the best player of spin bowling in the current Aussie set-up but Clarke believes that each individual has his own way of countering the turning deliveries.

"I don't expect others to play spin in a manner that I do. I have had success with my approach and there have been times that I failed. The key thing is to have a plan and have courage to stick to it," he said.

Nathan Lyon went for over 200 runs in the first Test and the skipper was non-committal about whether the offie would get a start or not, provided they again go with single spinner.

"It doesn't necessarily mean that single spinner would be Lyon. It could be someone else."

Shane Watson not being able to bowl has also been detrimental to Australia's team composition and Clarke opined, "It was Watto's (Watson's nickname) call of not bowling and not Cricket Australia. I don't know when he will again start bowling but for me, he is one of the best all-rounders in world cricket. Also, he is good enough to play as a specialist batsman in this Australian line-up," he said.

The skipper, however, didn't like the obvious parallel with the England team's come-from-behind series win.

"We are not the England team. We are a different team. We may have lost the first Test but now our aim is to win the next three Test matches. We need to remain focused. If we can play our best cricket, I am confident of doing well," he signed off.

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News Network
July 25,2020

New Delhi, Jul 25: Former India spinner Anil Kumble said that he has never understood why people compared him with Australia's Shane Warne.

Kumble was doing an Instagram live session with former Zimbabwe pacer Pommie Mbangwa and it was then that the spinner also talked about being the third-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket.

"It feels really wonderful to finish with these many wickets. I never bothered about statistics or what my average should be, I wanted to bowl the whole day and be the one to take wickets. To finish as the third-highest wicket-taker in Tests alongside Murali and Warne is very special. All three of us played in the same era, there were a lot of comparisons, I do not know why people compared me with Warne. Warne was someone really different and he was on a different plane," Kumble told Mbangwa during the interaction.
"These two guys could spin the ball on any surface so it became really difficult for me when they started comparing me with Warne and Murali. I learnt a lot by watching them both bowl," he added.

The Indian spinner announced his retirement from international cricket in 2008. He finished with 619 wickets in the longest format of the game.

He has the third-highest number of wickets in Tests, only behind Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Australia's Shane Warne (708).

Kumble is the second bowler in the history of international cricket after England's Jim Laker to take all ten wickets in an innings of a Test match.

He had achieved the feat against Pakistan in 1999 at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi. Kumble had bowling figures of 10-74 from 26.3 overs in the second innings of the Test match.
Kumble will be coaching Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League (IPL). 

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News Network
June 24,2020

New Delhi, Jun 24: Former England skipper Michael Vaughan has slammed UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson for not allowing recreational cricket to resume.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had described the cricket ball as a 'natural vector of disease' and ruled out recreational cricket's return in the country.

Hearing Johnson's argument, Vaughan tweeted: "Hand sanitiser in every players pocket. Use every time you touch the ball ... SIMPLE ... Recreational Cricket should just play from July 4th ... utter nonsense it's not being allowed back ... #Cricket."

Johnson was responding to a question from Conservative MP Greg Clark in the House of Commons, and it was then that Johnson said that it is too soon to lift current restrictions to allow the return of recreational cricket.

"The problem with cricket as everybody understands is that the ball is a natural vector of disease, potentially at any rate. We've been around it many times with our scientific friends," ESPNCricinfo had quoted Johnson as saying.

"At the moment, we're still working on ways to make cricket more COVID-secure but we can't change the guidance yet," he added.

Johnson had announced various relaxations on Tuesday, but the return of recreational cricket was not a part of them.

However, this statement given by Johnson will have no impact on the Test series between England and West Indies, scheduled to begin from July 8.

However, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has said that it is looking to resume recreational cricket in the country around July 4.

The board has also said that cricket is a low-risk sport as it is a non-contact sport.

"We believe that cricket is a non-contact sport, with very low risks of exposure, and that it can be played as safely as many other activities being currently permitted," the ECB said in an official statement.

"It is our strong desire to work with Government to see the return of recreational cricket on or around 4th July, as they continue to lift other restrictions more broadly across society," it added.

All international cricket has also been suspended since March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

However, it is set to resume to from July 8 as England and West Indies will lock horns in the three-Test series.

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News Network
June 17,2020

New Delhi, Jun 17: Indian skipper Virat Kohli on Wednesday paid tributes to Indian Army soldiers, who were killed during the face-off with the Chinese troops in Ladakh's Galwan Valley.

Extending condolences to the kin of bravehearts, Kohli said, "No one is more selfless and brave than a soldier."

"Salute and deepest respect to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives to protect our country in the Galwan Valley. NO one is more selfless and brave than a soldier. Sincere condolences to the families. I hope they find peace through our prayers at this difficult time," he tweeted.

The violent face-off happened on late evening and night of June 15 in Ladakh's Galwan Valley as a result of an attempt by the Chinese troops to "unilaterally change" the status quo during de-escalation in Eastern Ladakh and the situation could have been avoided if the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side, India said on Tuesday.

The Army confirmed that 20 soldiers were killed in the face-off, including 17 who were critically injured at the stand-off location and exposed to sub-zero temperatures in the high altitude terrain.

Indian and Chinese troops have disengaged at the Galwan area in Ladakh where they had earlier clashed on the night of June 15 and 16, Indian Army said.

Former cricketer Irfan Pathan tweeted, "We will always be indebted to our jawans of #IndianArmy who lost their lives in #GalwanValley #JaiHind."

Expressing similar sentiments, Indian batsman Shikhar Dhawan wrote, "A sacrifice that will never be forgotten by the nation. Heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of the Indian Army officer and the two soldiers. Saluting your bravery, Jai Hind! #GalwanValley."

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