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India go down in a barrage of SOK and awe

Roar Rookie
26th February, 2017
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(AAP Image/Paul Miller)
Roar Rookie
26th February, 2017
11

Spin it however you like, Stephen O’Keefe was the hero in Pune. His match figures of 12/70, the best by an Aussie spinner in India.

It’s a feel good storyline to savour out of one of Australia’s greatest ever wins away from home.

For those who know nothing about O’Keefe, you’d have been surprised to see a harmless looking left-arm-orthodox bamboozling Virat Kohli among others.

For those who know a little about him, it might have all been a bit of a shock.

For those that have followed O’Keefe’s career closely, you’d have felt pride and immense delight to see the boy from Manly make his mark on Test cricket.

The 32-year-old isn’t perfect – he’ll readily admits he doesn’t mind a beer – after all it’s always been a part of cricket.

But boy, he’s a hard worker at his craft, and that’s why he’s been afforded a bit of latitude, and he’s now repaying the faith at the highest level.

Let’s rewind.

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After the Hobart calamity earlier in the summer, O’Keefe most likely would’ve replaced Nathan Lyon for the third Test, after an anaemic display in Tassie.

Stephen O'Keefe

A calf injury put paid to that.

Before that, a hamstring injury to O’Keefe in Sri Lanka stuffed up a real chance to shine.

Then the spinner got whacked with a $10k fine for a boozy night out.

Prior to that, a tour of Bangladesh was canned. That wasn’t ideal either, as ‘SOK’ would’ve been on that trip.

Twelve years of toil in first class cricket has yielded 237 wickets at a tick under 23.

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No Aussie spinner can hold a candle, lantern or match to that record in the last decade.

But things weren’t going his way.

He wasn’t a sexy spinner.

He didn’t turn it big, get heaps of drift or bounce.

In his way is Australia’s best ever finger spinner in Nathan Lyon.

Nathan Lyon of Australia looks on

Before his time, Shane Warne, Australia’s finest cricketer bar Bradman, and the spinner that every Aussie tweaker will be compared to for the rest of eternity.

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Weight of numbers just wasn’t working for O’Keefe, and luck had deserted him.

A debut against Pakistan in the UAE returned modest results, and Australia lost.

A Test appearance in Sydney was ruined by rain as the Aussies flogged the West Indies. Injured during a Test in Sri Lanka.

The Hobart debacle almost might have earned him a chance as spinner number one, but for injury.

But something happened. Trevor Hohns happened.

The interim chairman of selectors picked players in form.

Matt Renshaw, Peter Handscomb and Jackson Bird profited.

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In the News Year’s Test O’Keefe got a look in against Pakistan, contributing to a win.

Hohns then instructed O’Keefe to skip the BBL, and focus on India, wickets for Manly followed, because that’s what he does.

He contains, strangles, out-thinks, and ultimately gets batsmen out.

So on a dust bowl in Pune, bowling to the best players of spin in the world, O’Keefe did his thing.

Put the ball in areas batsmen don’t like. Every over. Every ball.

Varied his pace, his trajectory and arm position.

And we watched India crumble.

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We watched King Kohli shoulder arms and saw the ball crash into off-stump.

Well done Stephen O’Keefe.

You’re a national hero, at least until this Saturday, when you’ll get a chance to do it all again.

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