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The new dawn of James Pattinson

James Pattinson could form part of a lethal pace attack for Australia. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
Roar Rookie
7th January, 2016
5

For all the talk and conjecture over consistent injuries to young Australian fast bowlers, no one has been subjected to greater frustrations and anguish than James Pattinson.

Being firmly locked into the Test XI after his stunning debut during the home summer against New Zealand in 2011-12, Pattinson had shown the passion, mettle and much-needed aggression to succeed at international level.

With Mitchell Johnson absent from the Test team after an indifferent run of form and with a subsequent injury ruling him out indefinitely, Pattinson was a breath of fresh air.

With his aggressive nature, intimidating action and with the ability to swing the ball both ways at pace, Pattinson immediately showed he belonged at Test level and the future looked bright for himself and for Australian cricket.

A home series against a strong Indian team immediately followed, after the young tyro collected his second man of the match award in successive series during his first home Test at the MCG. He subsequently collected six wickets for the match, including the scalps of Indian stalwarts Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid with the use of fast, full deliveries.

There looked like no slowing down for Pattinson.

As has been a recurring and frustrating problem with young fast bowlers over the years, with the constant strain on their maturing bodies, especially when bowling at pace, injury struck.

Concluding a fruitful New Years Test at the SCG, where Pattinson collected five wickets for the match, he was diagnosed with the early stages of a stress fracture in his foot, the fast bowler’s curse.

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This was just the start of a frustrating run of injuries and professional setbacks that Pattinson would have to overcome in the coming years. The worst was yet to come.

After a lengthy lay off period with reconditioning and rehabilitation, Pattinson was recalled for the ultimately doomed and politically contentious tour of India in 2013.

Being arguably Australia’s most fruitful fast bowler during the first two Tests, albeit in heavy losses, Pattinson found himself out of the team, this time not through injury but joining Shane Watson, Mitchell Johnson and Usman Khawaja in exile following Mickey Arthur’s “Homework-gate” saga, a setback he did not need nor deserve.

With the subsequent removal of Arthur on the eve of the 2013 Ashes on enemy soil, the inclusion of Darren Lehmann brought a breath of fresh air and renewed hope of continuity and success, something which has been eluding the Australian team for some time in the old dart. Pattinson was back in the fold.

It was to be a false dawn, however, with the hope of a slim Australian victory dashed in Cardiff and a heavy defeat at Lord’s. Watching Pattinson bowl a collective 91 overs over the two fixtures, one sensed it was almost too much and something had to give.

In the aftermath of Australia’s heavy defeat at Lord’s by 347 runs, the toll of defeat reared its ugly head. It was not Pattinson’s foot injury on this occasion, but a new struggle, and one which would keep him out of competitive cricket for the next eight months. They had discovered a stress fracture in his back, Pattinson’s tour and short-term career prospects were over.

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The sight of watching Pattinson break down during his press conference, sighting the workload on his body over the proceeding Tests as too much of a strain on his body, was heartbreaking and one sensed that he had lost faith in his body and had started to lose hope.

A long and lengthy rehabilitation period ensued, a period that would ultimately keep him out of Test cricket for the best part of 18 months.

With the tutelage and timely advice from Australian bowling coach Craig McDermott, the rebuild began, a complete revamp of Pattinson’s action. Keeping his run up and body as fluid as possible through the crease, while aiming for a more front-on action, with the ultimate hope of keeping his back from strain and harm. It would be a gruelling process, but hope was not lost.

During this current home summer, and with Mitchell Starc’s long-term injury, the door once again opened for a possible return for Pattinson, new action and all. Pattinson was back.

His return to Test ranks started in an underwhelming fashion, against a lowly West Indies in Hobart. Pattinson steamed in with the new ball, revamped action and all. His lengths were confused and his pace down on what we have known to expect.

Surely he was not a shadow of his former self? Nerves perhaps?

In the second innings on a brisk Hobart morning, with his confidence strained, he took on a piece of advice from his skipper Steve Smith, “Just bowl fast”. And fast he did. With his former aggression and with little regard to his fragile body.

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Pattinson steamed in, threw his new action out the window and collected 5-27 in a masterful display of full, fast bowling. Confidence and hope was restored.

We will have to wait and see if this, the new dawn of James Pattinson, will be one of continuity and success or another false dawn, one blighted by injury. But one hopes that he has done his hard yards, overcome adversity and heartbreak and this, his rebirth of sorts, will be one of continued success in Australian cricket.

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