Published: May 29, 2013, 11:18 AM (IST)
Edited: May 29, 2013, 11:18 AM (IST)
Greame Swann had undergone an elbow operation and missed England’s tour of New Zealand earlier in 2013 © Getty Images
Leeds: May 29, 2013
Graeme Swann thanked surgeon Shawn O’Driscoll for saving his career after his 10-wicket haul saw England to a crushing win over New Zealand.
Off-spinner Swann’s second innings six for 90 at Headingley gave him a match return of 10 for 132 which propelled England to a 247-run win in the second Test on Tuesday and a 2-0 series victory.
However, the 34-year-old Swann missed the three-match Test series between the two sides in New Zealand, which ended in a 0-0 draw in March, while he recovered from an elbow operation.
Surgery in the United States under the guidance of O’Driscoll, who also treated England seamer Tim Bresnan for a similar injury, proved a success and man-of-the-match Swann was duly grateful.
“The elbow feels great, I’m very thankful to the surgeon Shawn O’Driscoll – he probably saved my career, good man,” Swann told Sky Sports.
Swann was left out of the corresponding Headingley Test against South Africa last year, when England opted for an all-seam attack.
This match saw Swann, whose match figures were the best by a spinner in a Headingley Test since England’s Derek Underwood took 10 for 82 against Australia in 1972, gain from the rough created by New Zealand left-arm seamers Trent Boult and Neil Wagner.
“The world should have left-armers in their team, left-hand batsmen or bowlers, it’s better for me,” Swann said.
Joe Root, whose first innings 104 on his Headingley home ground was his maiden Test hundred, was named England’s man-of-the-series after making 71 in the hosts’ 170-run first Test win at Lord’s.
“Obviously it’s great for Rooty to get a hundred. It was a fantastic hundred in pretty tough batting conditions that first day, it swung all day.,” said England captain Alastair Cook, whose second innings 130 saw him extend his own England Test century record to 25.
“Swanny has done it for a few years for us now and to get 10 wickets here was a great effort,” he added.
