http://www.senore.com/Cricket/John-Geoffrey-Wright-c67883 says his side can cope with Gabba bounce - Cricket News Update
The http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 coach John Wright is confident his side can cope with the bounce of Gabba and will make the callow Australian attack sweat in the first Test of the two-match series starting at Brisbane’s Gabba ground, on Thursday,
December 1, 2011.
Wright, the wise and well travelled Kiwi coach, told media reporters that the first half-hour of their innings would be quite challenging as players would take time to adjust to Gabba's bounce.
“It can be (challenging), there is that adjustment and that's why your first half-hour of your innings is really important, and that's something we've got two days to work on,” said Wright when asked was his side prepared to face
the extra bounce of Gabba strip.
“But I'm pretty hopeful we'll cope if there is extra bounce. There is a tendency to overestimate the pace and the bounce when you come to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746. Generally they're very good batting conditions,” he added further.
Wright said the first two hours on the first day would be quite crucial and urged the side to concentrate very hard on the first day and then take it forward from there.
The visiting coach was also happy with the performance of his side in last week’s drawn tour game against Australia A, and expressed satisfaction over New Zealand’s preparation for the series opener. In the drawn four-day tour game,
three of the visiting batsmen scored dazzling centuries, including Jesse Ryder’s belligerent 175, laced with 16 lofty sixes.
Australia is fresh from a nail biting finish against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 at Johannesburg and must be high on confidence, but John Wright is not fazed by that last moment victory of his Trans-Tasmanian rivals.
“They had an impressive last Test as a team, but we know that if we can achieve some of the goals we set ourselves,” said Wright. “We think that we've got the players that can do very well against this team,” he added further.
Gabba has been a great ally of Australia as the Aussies have not lost a match here since 1988. The second Test of the series will be played at Hobart from December 9, 2011.
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