Will be flooded by Phillip Hughes’ memories in Sydney Test: Watson
4 Jan 2015 10:21 PM GMT
Not too enthused by the idea of being back on the ground where Phillip Hughes was fatally struck, Australian all-rounder Shane Watson on Saturday said memories of the late batsman will flood him the moment he steps out to compete in the fourth cricket Test against India. Hughes lost his life in November last year after being struck on the back of his head by a Sean Abott bouncer during a domestic match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
“It’s the first time I’ve been back here since just before Phil’s funeral. It was always a time that I wasn’t really looking forward to, coming back to the ground. But in the end, enough time has sort of passed to be able to find my own personal way to be able to deal with what happened to Phil. I’m sure once I get out into the middle and playing, those visions will be coming back. We’ve only really come together just now, so I’m sure we will (speak as a group) over the next couple of days, especially the guys who were on the field at that moment. I still haven’t been out in the middle yet so I’m sure once I go out there all those memories will come flooding back very quickly,” Watson told reporters on Saturday.
Johnson in doubt for Sydney Test
Australian pace spearhead Mitchell Johnson is uncertain for the fourth and final cricket Test against India due to a hamstring problem which forced him to skip a practice session here on Saturday. According to media reports here, Johnson complained of hamstring soreness and decided not to travel with the team for their first practice at the nets here. If the bowler, who was slightly off-colour in the drawn third Test, fails to be match-ready, Mitchell Starc or Peter Siddle could be brought in to the side. Johnson had already stated that he would be looking to bowl shorter spells in the last game of the series, which Australia have already won by taking a 2-0 lead.
Pick 5 bowlers, Chappell tells Ind
Former Australia captain Ian Chappell feels even though he backs the hosts to win the series 3-0, India should field five specialist bowlers including two spinners in the final cricket Test, starting January 6. India’s bowling attack in overseas conditions has traditionally been four-pronged with a single spinner in operation. It was debutant leg-spinner Karn Sharma featuring as sole spinner in the Adelaide Test while Ravichandran Ashwin replaced him in Brisbane and Melbourne. “I probably favour a 3-0 result. I think what India have got to do, I don’t know if they’ve got the players to do it, but I think they could go with an attack of three quickies and two spinners. I don’t know much about Patel, who has come out to replace Jadeja, but I think if they can go for three quickies and two spinners, that would be the right combination for Sydney,” Chappell opined.
“It’s the first time I’ve been back here since just before Phil’s funeral. It was always a time that I wasn’t really looking forward to, coming back to the ground. But in the end, enough time has sort of passed to be able to find my own personal way to be able to deal with what happened to Phil. I’m sure once I get out into the middle and playing, those visions will be coming back. We’ve only really come together just now, so I’m sure we will (speak as a group) over the next couple of days, especially the guys who were on the field at that moment. I still haven’t been out in the middle yet so I’m sure once I go out there all those memories will come flooding back very quickly,” Watson told reporters on Saturday.
Johnson in doubt for Sydney Test
Australian pace spearhead Mitchell Johnson is uncertain for the fourth and final cricket Test against India due to a hamstring problem which forced him to skip a practice session here on Saturday. According to media reports here, Johnson complained of hamstring soreness and decided not to travel with the team for their first practice at the nets here. If the bowler, who was slightly off-colour in the drawn third Test, fails to be match-ready, Mitchell Starc or Peter Siddle could be brought in to the side. Johnson had already stated that he would be looking to bowl shorter spells in the last game of the series, which Australia have already won by taking a 2-0 lead.
Pick 5 bowlers, Chappell tells Ind
Former Australia captain Ian Chappell feels even though he backs the hosts to win the series 3-0, India should field five specialist bowlers including two spinners in the final cricket Test, starting January 6. India’s bowling attack in overseas conditions has traditionally been four-pronged with a single spinner in operation. It was debutant leg-spinner Karn Sharma featuring as sole spinner in the Adelaide Test while Ravichandran Ashwin replaced him in Brisbane and Melbourne. “I probably favour a 3-0 result. I think what India have got to do, I don’t know if they’ve got the players to do it, but I think they could go with an attack of three quickies and two spinners. I don’t know much about Patel, who has come out to replace Jadeja, but I think if they can go for three quickies and two spinners, that would be the right combination for Sydney,” Chappell opined.
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