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Despite owning a fantastic Test bowling record, Australian quick Jackson Bird still hasn’t won over many observers. Yesterday Bird again proved effective as Australia edged Pakistan on day one of the Boxing Day Test.
I’m one of those people who haven’t been fully convinced by the tall Tasmanian seamer, even though he’s taken 32 wickets at an average of 26 from his eight Tests.
Numbers as impressive as those should make a bowler an automatic Test selection.
But for some reason they haven’t – not in my eyes, not in the eyes of a lot of Australian fans and, crucially, not in the eyes of the Australian selectors. Bird’s eight Tests have been spread out across four years due to the fact that he’s so frequently been behind other bowlers in the pecking order.
When Ryan Harris and Mitchell Johnson were Australia’s first choice new ball pair, up until 18 months ago, Bird was ranked behind the likes of Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson and Josh Hazlewood. Then, in a short space of time, Harris and Johnson retired and Siddle and Pattinson got injured.
After two-and-a-half years out of the team, Bird returned to the Australian XI in the Tests in New Zealand this February. He looked nervous at Wellington and lacked his trademark accuracy, returning figures of 1-103. In the deciding second Test, however, Bird had a big impact.
He collected seven wickets for the match, including the pivotal dismissal of Kiwi superstar Kane Williamson for 97 in the second dig. It was the kind of performance which can not only cement a player’s position with the selectors but also give the bowler an injection of confidence and of belonging in the side.
As the third seamer, Bird was always going to make way for a second spinner on the following Test tour of Sri Lanka. But he had every right to expect he’d be straight back into the line-up for the first Test of this home summer. Instead Bird was overlooked for Siddle.
The Victorian veteran had played just one first-class match since returning from his long injury layoff, taking three wickets. Bird played in that same Sheffield Shield game and grabbed six poles.
Yet he was leapfrogged by Siddle. When Siddle re-injured his back in that first Test against South Africa, Bird was shafted again. This time it was Joe Mennie who pushed in front of him.
The selectors apparently considered Bird and Mennie equals as red ball bowlers but favoured Mennie because of his superior tail end batting. Mennie’s stay was short lived.
He was one of five players from the team for the Hobart Test later culled as the selectors reacted savagely to an egregious performance.
Finally, in the day-night Test at Adelaide, Bird was reinstated. He delivered a sturdy performance, although he again looked nervy as he had in Wellington. In the following Test at Brisbane we got to see a more confident Bird. He was the self-assured, methodical operator we’d seen in the Shield for years.
On a Brisbane deck which offered little to the bowlers Bird set about landing delivery after delivery on a good length on or just outside off. It was unspectacular, but a pace bowling method as tried and true as any in Test history. The same approach which has brought Hazlewood great success in his career worked for Bird.
Among match figures of 6-133, Bird twice removed Pakistan captain Misbah ul-Haq. He made it three from three for the series yesterday when he had Misbah caught at short leg from an inside edge. Just four overs earlier he had dismissed Pakistan’s other key batsman Younis Khan, bowled through the gate by a classic off cutter.
Those wickets came during a marathon 10-over spell from Bird. In knocking over Pakistan’s two most experienced players he turned the match firmly in Australia’s favour. It was a fantastic spell from Bird on a pitch which was great for batting.
While the highly-rated Starc ill-advisedly bowled short ball after short ball, and rarely looked threatening, Bird pitched the ball up, regularly striking that in-between length which catches batsmen in two minds.
Bird didn’t do anything remarkable. His skills were subtle – there was no searing pace, intimidating bouncers, spearing yorkers or befuddling swing. It was understated but effective.
That pretty much sums up Bird. He tends to look a tad innocuous. When I watch him bowl I never find myself thinking, “Gee this guy is good”, like I often do while observing Starc and Hazlewood.
Still, Bird gets the job done. Or at least he has regularly in his brief Test career. With eight wickets at 23 so far in this series, you’d think his spot should be safe for the third Test. That security won’t last long though as Australia’s next series is in India where, barring injury to Starc or Hazlewood, he won’t be needed.
By the time Australia are again ready to play three quicks in their XI after the Indian series Bird could again find himself vaulted by the likes of Pattinson, Siddle or Pat Cummins. Bird’s Test career has been fruitful yet bumpy. For now, it looks like staying that way.