With a series win already achieved heading into the Fourth Test at the Adelaide Oval, the Australian cricket team is currently on a high.
Despite the fact that India has never won a series on Australian soil, to defeat a team still laden with world class batsmen and dangerous bowlers is a wonderful accomplishment for a team presently going through a rebuilding phase.
There have been numerous performances that are worthy of note, headlined by Michael Clarke’s stunning 329 not out in Sydney, David Warner’s whirlwind 180 in Perth, and Ricky Ponting’s long awaited 40th Test century.
Yet, as magnificent as all of those batting innings, and others, have been, you need to take 20 wickets to win a Test match. And with that in mind, much of the credit must go to the bowlers for ensuring that Australia will take home the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The bowling unit, in particular the quicks, have been sensational.
Statistics can sometimes paint an inaccurate story, but the series numbers so far give an indication of how good the Australian bowling has been.
Ben Hilfenhaus, in an amazing return to Test cricket, has taken 23 wickets at an average of 16. Peter Siddle has looked extremely comfortable in his role as the leader of the attack, and claimed 17 wickets at 19.59.
James Pattison has been a revelation, following up his strong debut series against New Zealand by capturing 11 Indian scalps at 23.36. And Ryan Harris and Mitchell Starc, despite playing just one game each, ensured Australia didn’t miss a beat when Pattison went down injured and Australia selected four frontline quicks for the WACA Test.
However statistics only tell half of the story. The attack has worked brilliantly as a team, maintaining pressure from both ends, bowling very few loose balls, and utilising the conditions to their advantage.
The bowlers give every impression of a cohesive unit, and that togetherness and ability to hunt as a pack has been a key to their success.
Though perhaps the most impressive aspect of the fast bowlers’ performance has been their propensity to swing the ball.
During the Ashes series last season, one of the biggest differences between the two sides was the ability of the English bowlers to move the ball in the air. Whilst James Anderson and company were swinging the ball in and away from Australia’s batsmen, the local bowlers were more often than not gun barrel straight.
Previously, many English bowlers had been found wanting when the ball was not moving around for them, and the English hierarchy identified that if the Ashes were to be won on Australian soil, their bowlers were going to have to find a way to make the ball talk in Australian conditions.
England subsequently appointed Australian David Saker as their bowling coach. Having played for Victoria, Tasmania and Australia A during a long and successful first class career, Saker had the knowledge, skill and mindset that England required.
Saker immediately went about teaching the England fast bowling unit how to swing the ball on Australian wickets. Hundreds of Kookaburra balls were purchased, and the England team practiced with them for months leading into the Ashes series, instead of the usual English Duke ball.
The hiring of Saker and his influence on the English fast bowlers paid large dividends, with England crushing Australia and winning the Ashes, primarily behind some quality swing bowling.
At the time I asked the question of what the hell Australian bowling coach Troy Cooley was doing. It was embarrassing that a touring side was making better use of the conditions, and the ball, than the home side.
How could it come to be that the tourists were swinging the ball, yet Australia weren’t?
Well, it’s pretty hard to swing the ball when you ball short and simply bang it into the pitch, but that seemed to be Australia’s tactics against England. No wonder that Alistair Cook, who predominantly cuts and pulls, was made to look like Don Bradman. Rarely did the Australian bowlers pitch it up and make him drive.
Post-Ashes, there was a need for accountability across the board in Australian cricket. This should have included the out-coached Troy Cooley, who ought to have taken a large percentage of the blame for the bowler’s poor performance, especially their lack of swing.
Instead of being fired, Cooley was promoted to the role of head coach at Cricket Australia’s Centre of Excellence. Go figure.
Twelve months on, and the fortunes and performances of our fast bowlers couldn’t be more diametrically opposed.
The bowlers are pitching the ball up, swinging it, and claiming lots of wickets behind the stumps.
Whilst the players are deservedly receiving plaudits, kudos must also go to Australia’s current bowling coach Craig McDermott.
McDermott was a fantastic fast bowler for Australia, claiming 291 Test wickets, and his impact on Australia’s quicks so far has been every bit as impressive as his own international career. Gone is the mentality of ‘hitting the deck hard’, and ushered in is the approach of giving the ball every chance to swing.
If accountability was required after the Ashes series, then equally, praise is called for following the performance of Australia’s fast bowlers against India. Cricket has always been about results, and McDermott is currently achieving very positive ones.
All credit to him.
You can follow Ryan on Twitter @RyanOak
Steve War
Guest
Gee thanks, what's that in English?
jamesb
Guest
pretty much agree with all the comments on here. In last years Ashes series, it beggars believe how England swung the ball, and Australia didn't. Cooleys approach was bang it into the pitch, bowl it outside off stump, similar to McGrath. The problem is there is only one McGrath. The other fast bowlers basically went back to basics under Billy by bowling outswingers and pitching it up, and its paid dividends. I don't think Alistair Cook would've scored the amount of runs against Australias bowling attack this year. PS: perhaps its time Justin Langer gets the flick as batting coach. You tend to think as a batsman, you try to play straight.
Damo
Guest
Before he injured his back Mark Waugh actually bowled at a lively pace, and he once opened the bowling in a Test match. And yes, he could swing the ball.
Johnno
Guest
Dingo mark waugh did bowl nude spin, and he was very effective at it. it is a lost art nude spin but can be effective when bowled right. Ashwin i think bowls nude spin as does nathan lyon and they have had success at time with baling nude spin varieties.
Dingo
Guest
Interesting comment from Mark Waugh, if I remember correctly he used to bowl "nude spin", so named because the balls had nothing on them. That doesn't read very well, does it.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
More Skull genius!
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
Hey Vas, Cooley was willing to take plenty of credit (and money) for England's Ashes victory in 2005, and again for Australia's victory in 2006/07. And that's more than fair enough; he deserved it. But the ball swings both ways (excuse the pun!), and he needs to take responsibility for the quicks inability to swing the ball towards the end of his tenure. Especially when just 12 months later, all the quicks are swinging it - even the traditionally gun barrel-straight Peter Siddle.
rl
Guest
Or, as Skull O'Keefe has already said today on ABC radio: "it's not rocket surgery"! Great stuff!!!!
rl
Guest
You'd need an interpreter - while Haydos was a great player he's absolutely fluent in gibberish!
Vas Venkatramani
Guest
I think it's very harsh to blame Troy Cooley totally. While no one disagrees McDermott has shown him up, Cooley was hired by CA based on his exploits with England in 2005. The 05 Ashes exposed our weakness with reverse swing, and Cooley was hired to show us how to master that. I would argue he did a fair job. Of course, he neglected conventional swing in the process, and that is his biggest failure. But in praising Craig McDermott, I don't think we need to slam Troy Cooley. After all, under his bowling tutelage, we did win back the Ashes 5-0 in 2006/07. If we want to give out blame, let's also not be selective in our ability to give credit when its due.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
Dingo, I remember during last year's Ashes series, Mark Waugh lamented the fact our quicks couldn't swing the ball and said words to the effect of "Give me a ball now, and I could out to the nets and swing it." I felt the same way. I was never going to play for Australia, but when required, I never had too much trouble bowling a gentle outswinger. As you said, the mystery is that it was considered a mystery at all. It's not rocket science. It's simple bowling.
Dingo
Guest
Much of the credit for the improvement in the Australian pace attack is deservedly going to McDermott, he seems to have unlocked the "mystery" of swing bowling for our guys, which for me is a bit of a mystery as to why it is a mystery. As a young tryhard tearaway wannabe demon, I remember being able to bowl outswingers without much difficulty at all and nearly everyone I knew who bowled could do it as well!!! In fact anyone who rated themselves as a mediumpacer/quick was sure to bowl outswing. We were just a bunch of scrubbers, so why the heck has it been so difficult for the pros to do it? Here's how you do it: 1. Angle the seam to first slip. 2. Have the rough side of the ball on the left, the shiny side on the right. (for rh batsman) 3. Pitch it up. 4. Lesson over.
Howdog
Guest
Good shout. And a horses head to Troy's house.
Johnno
Guest
the games changes since coolly left, and Billy has modernised bowling coaching.
jameswm
Guest
It's a funny one this. When playing, I wasn't convinced Billy had much between the ears. He then had business problems, which to be fair could have involved poor luck. However, you can't watch our bowlers ball and not give Billy any credit. I saw him interviewed recently and whilst it's all reasonably simple, it only has to be reasonably simple. I swung all balls in all conditions with no bowling coach. The correct wrist position and the release, that's about it. As a late teen and into my 20s, I recall all the rage about hitting the pitch. I was perhaps unfashionable as a swing bowler, but I got wickets everywhere I went, and batsmen found it hard to play me. If you can bowl accurately, move it a bit and control that movement, and do it at reasonable pace, then you will have success anywhere you go. If you have 3-4 bowlers doing the same thing together, then it makes it hard to score runs. That's what Sehwag's been talking about.
Bearfax
Guest
Have already given Craig the thumbs up in another forum. Granted he has some very talented bowlers available at present and the rebirth of Hilfenhaus and Siddle has been remarkable. Add to that the performances of Cummings, Pattinson and Stark, with others waiting their turn in the wings and of course the return of Harris and the emergence of Lyon as spinner, Oz's stocks seem the best in years in the bowling department. But it took a good coach to meld these guys, develop swing bowling and a consistent line and dscipline in each of the bowlers who are operating like a well oiled machine. The Indian bowlers by comparison are talented but a rabble, some excellent brief efforts but no consistency. For that we owe Craig a great deal because its Oz bowling, and a couple of outstanding batting performances from Clarke and Warner and some good support from Ponting and Hussey, that has Oz in such a great position. But will that batting line up cope with the Brits...at present I'd say no.
ns1815
Guest
Chris, I strongly agree. It appears Langer has done very little, and should be accountable for his performance. He has presided over the collapses in South Africa, Hobart and others in this series. He must take some blame for Phillip Hughes's woeful efforts against Chris Martin. The big innings mentioned above have glossed over some pretty ordinary batting collapses. In addition the method of dismissal of some batsmen, Hughes, Ponting Haddin getting out the same way over and over suggests there is little critical analysis or coaching happening.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
Id be thinking of getting matty hayden out there with the openers for a start. No one came back from a longer test dumping than haydos, and he had to completely rejig his batting and then went on to become one of the top scoring opening batsmen ever, second only to Sunil GavaskarI if i recall correctly.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
You would seriously hope they are doing that, Howdog. Perhaps all Roarers can buy a Duke ball and have them sent to Cricket Australia?
Howdog
Guest
Oak, please tell me we have put an order in for hundreds of Duke balls? If not, can you please get on to that ASAP Champion?