Stung by a heavy defeat in the second Test, Australia are now practising ball tampering to improve the art of reverse-swing in the third Test against South Africa starting Saturday here at the Newlands.
|Last Updated: Feb 28, 2014, 04:14 PM IST|Source: IANS
Cape Town: Stung by a heavy defeat in the second Test, Australia are now practising ball tampering to improve the art of reverse-swing in the third Test against South Africa starting Saturday here at the Newlands.
During a training session here on the eve of the decider of the three-Test series, the Australian pacers worked a lot with old balls that had been scratched to promote reverse swing.
"We were cheating today, scraping it on the concrete. It`s good practice for the batters because it actually goes a lot more than what it does in a game," fast bowler Ryan Harris was quoted as saying in the Australian media.
"So if they can hit those, they`re obviously going to hit the ones in the game. It`s great practice for us (bowlers) as well ... and hiding the ball when you`re running in to bowl takes a lot of practice as well," he said.
The Australian pacers want to copy South Africa pacer Dale Steyn`s approach to the bowling crease.
Australia`s chief coach Darren Lehmann and batting coach Michael Di Venuto tested the batsmen with the bowling machines to deliver extreme inswingers like those of Steyn in Port Elizabeth.
"The guys were getting used to facing those balls coming back in late and finding a way to combat it. The bowlers had it swinging both ways," Di Venuto said.
Di Venuto admitted that Steyn`s reverse swing was exceptional in the second Test.
"The guys always practise reverse swing. But obviously the quality of that spell in the second innings, it would have opened a few of the guys` eyes up a little bit. Like anything, the longer you spend out there the easier it does get. Early in your innings you want to shorten your bat lift, get your pads out of the way and protect the stumps," he said.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.