Former Australian pacer Michael Kasprowicz feels Australia management made a mistake in picking the wrong team in the fourth and final test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy. Australia went with the same combination of three spinners with aided very less spin on the Ahmedabad pitch.
Speaking on the SENQ Breakfast program, former Australian speedster Kasprowicz said team management should have included another pacer in place of the spinner, who can extract a few things from the pitch that offered no spin. Australia went with Mitchell Starc as the lone pacer in their playing 11.
” I’m going to call it nose and toes. As fast bowlers, if we want to get stuck in, we either try and hit them on the nose or hit them on the toes. My point is, Australia has picked the wrong team, what they had to do was pick at least three fast bowlers. (We’ve got Green and Starc), but one is an all-rounder and Starc is always good with an older ball,” Kasprowicz said.
Michael Kasprowicz recalled the 2004-05 series where they usually played with three fast bowlers including him, and stressed fast bowlers can create few things on flat wickets compared to spinners.
“But if we had three fast bowlers plus a spinner – this is the program we went within India in 2004. The Australian side went in with Glenn McGrath who is the best, Jason Gillespie, and myself, we also had Shane Warne who was a pretty hander spinner as well. Over 90 overs a day, the reason I say pick fast bowlers is that they can create something on these flat wickets.”
From Australia’s last 10 tours, only one has been victorious – the 2-1 series win in 2004-05. Michael Kasprowicz has represented Australia in 38 Tests and was part of the 2004-05 series that Australia last won in India.
I Don’t Believe The Hype Around The Pitch – Michael Kasprowicz
Michael Kasprowicz says he didn’t believe the hype around the pitch in Indian conditions. The pitch has been the hot topic of discussion in this edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Many cricket pundits slammed India’s pitch preparation for this series.
“I don’t believe the hype I reckon because for all the attention around the pitches they were typically Indian wickets, When I say don’t believe the hype, I know the odd ball was turning square, and it got a poor rating,”
At Lunch during Day 5, Australia was 73-1 trailing by 18 runs to India, and the fourth match is heading towards a draw. India will take the series 2-1 and most likely qualify for World Test Championship Final.