Australia aims to blunt Ajmal’s spin using Indian, Lankan tactics: Hussey
September 3, 2012 01:48 pm
Australia is considering a more attacking approach to
Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal, who has claimed 7-62 in the series, after watching
videos of how Sri Lanka’s batsmen played him in the ODI series in June.
Middle-order batsman David Hussey said Michael Clarke’s men
have been watching videotapes of how Sri Lanka’s players took the long handle
to the off-spinner in the ODI series.
Sri Lanka won the five-match series 3-1 and Ajmal took only
three wickets at 40.66, compared to his starring role against Australia, which
has included claiming seven scalps at 8.85.
Hussey has fallen to Ajmal in the first match in Sharjah and
Saturday morning’s game two in Abu Dhabi, caught at slip for three and lbw for
a duck.
He said: “He’s a fantastic bowler. But we have to change our game plan. We’re defending him a little bit and to our perish. Maybe the best form of defense is attacking him.
“We’ve seen the Sri Lankans play him, we’ve seen the Indians
play him, and we might think that’s the better route to go.”
Australia’s openers David Warner and Matthew Wade have
scored 46 runs between them in two matches and big-hitting Warner played an
unusually quiet innings in Abu Dhabi, nudging the ball around for 24 off 68
deliveries, the AAP reports.
Hussey is urging the openers to play their natural attacking
games. “I reckon they’ll smack it to all parts,” he said.
Australia is yet to finalize their line-up for tonight’s deciding game three of the one-day series against Pakistan, with paceman Mitchell Starc nursing chest soreness.
(ZeeNews)
