![]() ![]() It was just a question of how to get him in. Although Giles only took 10 wickets in the series, he helped keep an end tight so we could rotate the quicks.Īs far as batting was concerned, I knew we had to find room for Pietersen after seeing him bat in Zimbabwe in late 2004. The exception was Matthew Hayden, and look how well he has done in India. Ashley Giles was written off by the press, but I felt he had an important role to play because the Australians seemed unwilling to sweep. I also felt the Aussies had a very old-fashioned approach to playing spin. ![]() And when the ball started reversing, their legs were getting in the way. That means their feet move into the first line of the ball they see, so if the ball swings they have problems adjusting. Australians have never played swing well because of the way they stand still until they've picked up the line of the ball. If people want to put our success down to Marcus Trescothick and his Murray Mints that's entirely up to them.īut there was another factor in the reverse-swing jigsaw. The fact that 2005 turned out to be such a warm summer meant the ball was able to reverse: keeping one side dry while the other is kept smooth is vital to the skill. ![]() He shared those tricks with the rest of the bowlers so everyone knew how to get the ball to reverse after 30 or 40 overs. He was aggressive, he could bowl conventional away swing and he had learned to reverse the ball during a trip to India with our bowling coach, Troy Cooley. Jones was the complete bowler, the best of the lot. We needed an attacking bowler who could get five wickets on a consistent basis, because Andrew Flintoff tended to hold up an end rather than rip through the opposition, Steve Harmison blew hot and cold and Matthew Hoggard was better against the left-handers than the right-handers. The key player for me was Simon Jones, who was even ahead of Kevin Pietersen in his importance to the side. #I remember 2005 seriesThe selectors wanted to make changes, but I was adamant the side we picked at Lord's would serve us well as the series progressed. By the time Australia arrived, everyone knew their role, on and off the pitch – so much so that not even a heavy defeat in the first Test at Lord's could change my mind. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |