I really love the way how the Australian selectors are fooling everyone with this rotation policy. Even the Australian public are fooled. Are they really using a rotation policy or are they using it to hide the Australian pitches that is been setup for the tests?
Before anyone jumps the gun let me explain something quick. Australian cricket pitches are bouncy, faster, skiddy natured rather than seaming. At least most are. Seam movement you will not find much of on skiddy bouncy pitches. Australia know this.
Then add the Kookaburra ball which unlike the SG used in India, is much softer and becomes old ver quickly. The harder you wack it the quicker it becomes old. With a old Kookaburra on a skidding wicket there is no seam movement no assistance what so ever. The ball comes nicely on to the bat which means you actually do not have to work hard to get your runs and you can play all your shots alll over the place. If its coming on to the bat the timing is not a problem. Batman love it and its like facing a tennisball on a piece of glass. Again Australia know this. That is why they want aggressive wackers to get that ball old doesn't matter if they sacrifice 2 or 3 guys Clarke comes in and he can smack it all over the place. Take into account your opponents have a all out seam attack which meant they are running in and hurtling down 135km/h deliveries on a glass pitch. As most of the cricket pitches in Australia are lively and fast the ball nicely reaches to the batsman and timing of the batsman improves. If you once settle down on these pitches you can time the ball exquisitely and can go for fours and sixes or any classical shot with out making any extra effort.
Add to the fact that Kallis SA swing bowler (Norkel, Philander, Steyn are seam bowlers) pulled up injured.
Interesting thing about Kallis is that after the first test SA have realized what Australia were up to. Kallis bowled earlier got two wickets early then pulled up injured. Left with seam on a glass pitch Clarke took advantage with Hussey and both lasted till the new ball came and were out.
If there is grass on the wicket it is going to skid nulifying seam bowling. 2nd test pitch report at Adelaide.
Clarke said it had more grass on it than he expected from Adelaide Oval. Ian Healy said he heard the groundsman saying he had left the grass at 6mm high instead of the usual 4mm. Whether that matters, I'm not sure, but the new ball might nip around a bit more.
You will get some swing with the new ball but not much seem if any at all. Add the Kookaburra getting old very quickly SA with Kallis pullin up injured were left at Australia's mercy.
Australia chose Hilfenhaus, Pattinson and Siddle. All of them guys who can use the swing. Hilfenhaus one of the guys who picked up 21 wickets in England. So they were selected for their swing rather than the seam. The ball got old and Faf Du Plessis was able to fend them off till the end of the day with Kallis on one leg and AB de Villiers in Gavaskar mode.
Then the third test came at Perth. Fastest track in the world the bounce at WACA is in such a way that even if the ball pitches little bit in fuller length the batsman feels difficult playing the ball on his front foot. Most of the times every ball at WACA makes the batsman to play on the back foot. You can compare it with a smooth hard cement turf. Every ball most of the times after pitching zips away from the face or shoulders.
Starc, Johnson, Hastings and Lyon.
This year's WACA pitch is expected to offer plenty of pace and bounce for the fast bowlers, but a little less seam movement than was available for last summer's three-day affair between Australia and India. The weather forecast is for cool temperatures and the odd shower.
But there was a short shower the previous night which But the new ball added a bit of moisture early in the mornings and Philander, Morkel and Steyn found a bit of swing. Time the ball was old the damage was done. SA realised the fact that with the old ball there is nothing left for the bowlers. So they went ahead and slap it at 5 a over till they were bowled out. The idea was to bat till the next morning then sent Australia in where that bit of moisture was there for the quicks. They were bowled out before that and Australia ended the day with all their wickets in tack. Simply the next morning they used that moisture which helped both teams in the first innings to make in rows in Aussie batting line up. With Clarke avg 35 at Perth the Aussie plan backfired.
But they implemented it perfectly against Sri Lanka.
