Siddle aims to sizzle in crucial Melbourne Test
After a heroic start in the first Ashes Test, Australian pace-ace Peter Siddle is aiming to bounce back, and regain the touch that gave him an astonishing hat-trick on the first day of the series in Brisbane.
Since then the right armer has failed to live up to expectations, and was clearly overshadowed by the duo of Ryan Harris and Mitchell Johnson in the third Ashes Test at the WACA in Perth. He claimed a single wicket along with Ben Hilfenhaus,
as Harris and Johnson scythed through the English team with a combined haul of 18 wickets in the match.
The fourth Test starts at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Boxing Day, and a record crowd is expected to witness the match on the first day. Siddle told reporters ahead of the game that the team was excited about playing in front
of a capacity crowd. Siddle said, "There were 60-70,000 for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 [in 2008-09], they are predicting another 20,000 on top of that. It's a big increase and you want to be a part of it and hear the roar. All the boys are looking forward to it and hopefully
it does turn out to be a record."
Siddle started the series with a potentially match winning performance, taking six wickets on day one to help bowl England out for a paltry total. However a stunning rearguard action by the tourists in the second innings saw them escape
with a draw.
The Aussie pacer feels that the real asset of his game is aggression, which drives him forward and helps him pick up wickets. He added that skipper Ricky Ponting also backs his aggressive instincts, and wants him to push himself to the
limit. He added that he did not mind engaging the batsmen verbally in order to unsettle him.
However he conceded that his aggression did backfire sometimes, especially when the opposition has amassed a lot of runs, which was the case in the second Test at Adelaide. For Siddle the Melbourne Test is extremely crucial, and he needs
to put in a special performance if he is to retain his spot for the fifth and final Test at Sydney.
The fast bowler is fourth in the pecking order behind Johnson, Harris and Hilfenhaus, who have all surged ahead after the Perth Test. For now Siddle is concentrating on doing his best in Melbourne, and help his side regain the Ashes.
Tags: