×

Pakistan vs Australia 2014: Spin hunt continues for visitors

One remembers Jason Krejza picking up 12 wickets in the only Test he played in India.

Related articles

Steve O’ Keefe became the 13th spinner since Warne's retirement to be handed the Baggy Green in Test cricket © Getty Images (File Photo)
Steve O’ Keefe (above) became the 13th spinner since Shane Warne’s retirement to be handed the Baggy Green in Test cricket © Getty Images

Spin bowling in Australia has a rich tradition with Shane Warne, Bill O’Reilly and Richie Benaud leading the way. Warne bade the game farewell a few years ago. Several bowlers have tried to fill the void but without much success. The Australian selectors over the last few years have continued to try and fill the void.  Indrajit Dutta feels the Australian selectors may have to prolong this search.

Filling Shane Warne’s boots for an experienced spin bowler — let alone a newbie — is a tall order. Australia have have handed out caps to as many as 13 spinners since Shane Warne retired at the end of the  2006-07 Ashes.

Steve O’ Keefe became the 13th spinner since Warne’s retirement to be handed the Baggy Green in Test cricket. Australia’s struggle to unearth Warne’s replacement has been the subject of many a debate. However, it is one that may continue for some time.

A major problem facing the new crop of spinners is that they are not penetrative enough. The fact that they have not been able to bowl out sides consistently does not augur well for them. In the last few years off-spinner Nathan Lyon has been given an extended run. Lyon has done well in patches, but he has not had the impact he perhaps would like to have.

Lyon, who made his debut in 2011, has a decent record; in 33 Tests he has captured 134 wickets at an average off 32. He started off very well with a five-wicket haul against the Sri Lankans at Galle. This was a tremendous beginning, more so as the Sri Lankans play spin well. However, he could not sustain this degree of success; the five-wicket hauls have been few and far between for him since then.

Xavier Doherty is another bowler who has been around for a few years now. However, since making his debut in 2010 he has played only four Tests. One reason for this maybe because Lyon has been the preferred front-line spinner off-late. The dominance of fast-bowlers is perhaps another reason Doherty’s Test appearances have been restricted. Australia usually go in with at least three fast bowlers, as a result of which there is very little chance for two spinners to feature.

Doherty, though it’s early days for him, is yet to produce a brilliant performance. Aussie fans will hope he can come up with that performance soon enough. He had a tough time when Australia were demolished 4-0 in India. It has to be said Aussie spinners in India — save Richie Benaud, Ashley Mallett and Greg Mathews — have abysmal records.

Richie Benaud has 52 wickets in eight games at average of 18. Mallett in 1969 scalped 28 batsman at an average 19 in five Tests. Greg Matthews in three Tests in 1986 bagged 14 wickets 14 wickets at 29. Thereafter Aussie spinners , including Warne (34 wickets in ine games at 43), have found the going tough in India.

One remembers Jason Krejza picking up 12 wickets in the only Test he played in India, but he conceded 358 at more than four per over. He faded out soon after, especially after Australia failed to defend 404 at Perth against South Africa in 2008. There have been others like Michael Beer and Beau Casson but their opportunities were limited too. Perhaps one of the most baffling decisions was to play Cameron White as a leg-spinner in the Test series in 2008 against India. White has been largely known for his batting rather than bowling.

Lyon apart, no other spinner has been given a long run. It is clear that fast-bowling is Australia’s strength and they have an attack that has prospered in the last few months. In conditions not familiar to them such as those in the sub-continent they would need a spinner who can impact the game the way Lyon did in Galle in 2011.

On most sub-continent like wickets the fast-bowlers might find the going tough. In the ongoing Test against Pakistan, apart from the fiery Mitchell Johnson the rest of the pacers did not have much  of an impact. Again, neither Lyon nor O’ Keefe inspired a lot of confidence.

Although it’s only early days in the Test match it would be worrying for Australia that the spinners did not have the Pakistani batsmen in any sort of trouble. If they are to record a series win against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at some point the spinners will have to be more penetrative.

Lyon and company can take inspiration from none other than Shane Warne. He had far from an ideal start to his career. In his first Test a young Sachin Tendulkar and Ravi Shastri carted him around the ground as his figures read 45-7-150-1.  Warne, however was not deterred by that return, and got his act together quickly to rewrite the record books time and again with his feats.

Having a good spinner goes a long way in strengthening a team. Perhaps this is why the Aussies have handed Test caps to 13 spinners since Warne’s retirement. Some would say trying out 13 spinners in a span of seven years hints at desperation and that a smaller number should be persisted with. It remains to be seen if the search will end with O’ Keefe. Australian selectors and fans will certainly hope so.

(Indrajit Dutta is a reporter with CricketCountry. He is also a published poet and author. His Twitter handle is @duttaindro)

trending this week