Ponting mulls fast bowling options for Perth
The beleaguered Aussie Captain Ricky Ponting has many issues to ponder on as the decisive third Ashes Test match approaches at the fastest and bounciest track of them all, the WACA in Perth.
The bowling department is one of the major worries for Ponting as he finds out for the first time that life is not easy without the likes of Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie.
The quartet led http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Lee-c72382, the Aussies have struggled to put a decent bowling
attack that can rattle the opposition.
Despite their absence the Aussies were doing reasonably well until the start of the tour of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 where the absence of a quality spinner cost them the two Test match series.
Once the Ashes started, they were brutally exposed by the resolute English batsmen who have posted consecutive scores of 517/1 and 620/5 at the Gabba and Adelaide, on their way to a 1-0 lead in the 5 match series.
The predicament for the hosts is that there leading fast bowler, Mitchell Johnson was hopelessly out of form at the Gabba, conceding 170 runs without taking a wicket and as a result found his named axed from the Adelaide test.
However, he is back in the reckoning for Perth as Ponting is impressed with his record at the venue where he took 8 wickets in an innings against the South Africans two years ago. Ponting feels that his record at the venue is tough
to ignore.
"He's taken an eight-for here so he has to come back into the reckoning considering it's a game we have to win," Ponting said. "I've always used him as a strike bowler but unfortunately he wasn't able to deliver in Brisbane. He's
had a chance to get away and sort things out and he has worked exceptionally hard in Adelaide. Hopefully we'll see some good stuff from him in Perth this week."
On the other hand, he is also backing Peter Siddle who tapered away at Adelaide after making a stunning start to the series claiming 6 wickets in the first innings at the Gabba including a hat-trick.
"Sids had none-for in Adelaide but I think he bowled a lot better than that," Ponting said. "I thought he got better as the game went on and never got any results to show for it. I'm very comfortable with the way he's going and
I was very impressed with (Ryan) Harris. To come back into the side and bowl that way was really exciting. He's someone who will bowl well at the WACA."
Meanwhile the full time selector former Aussie batsman Greg Chappell hinted that there was a dearth of cricketing talent in the country especially in the bowling department.
"Well, there are not a lot of options," Chappell said in an interview with his brother Ian."Mitch was, up until very recently, our best wicket-taker and the one most likely to win a Test or to help us get 20 wickets. If we can
get him bowling well, he's still the most dangerous bowler we have."
He indicated that Johnson was set to return at a venue that has supported faster bowlers over the years. The match at Perth will be extremely important for the left armer as his form has nosedived dramatically since his heroics
in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 last year.
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