http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Dennis-Keith-Lillee-c53639 unconvinced with Aussie ploy to rest fast bowlers – Cricket News Update
Australian legendary pacer, Dennis Lillee, said he was dumbfounded by his side’s tactics of naming a revamped attack for the all important deciding Test against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757.
The hosts fielded http://www.senore.com/Cricket/PM-Siddle-c2197 unfit on grounds that both men had bowled more than their fair share during the drawn Adelaide Test.
Having lost http://www.senore.com/Cricket/James-Pattinson-c1653 during the first innings of the game due to a side/rib injury, Hilfenhaus and Siddle threw everything at their opponents to help their side claim a 1-0 series lead. The former bowled 34 overs in the second innings of the match, while his partner sent down 33.
Despite their monumental efforts, they failed to break down a resilient Proteas side, as the Aussies had to settle for sharing the spoils. With plenty to play for, the home side backed their second string pace attack to deliver the goods at Perth, with Johnson, Starc and Hastings given the nod.
Johnson last played for the Test side in November 2011, but impressed the selectors after a promising start to the domestic season. Hastings was handed a debut, while Starc was given his chance to don the whites, having led the attack in the limited-overs format over the past couple of months.
Despite the pacers putting the Proteas under considerable pressure in the first innings, they failed to emulate the success in the second outing, which ultimately allowed their opponents to set an intimidating total of 632. The eventual result was a 309-run beating.
Lillee was surprised to see the Aussies favouring a new pace attack.
"You couldn't have convinced me," Lillee said on Sunday. "[Last night] Ian said, 'I can just imagine me trying to say to you you're not playing the next Test, I'd have to duck real quick wouldn't I?' My theory was never give a sucker an even break. That was just me. I used to think if someone else gets a game and he gets five-for, you've got to get back in the side."
"You’ve got to weigh it up and say the guys who had a three-day break, would they have bowled any better? There's talk about them being tired and whatever. Would they have bowled any better? Who knows. "
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