Ian Chappell on the 3rd Test (14 December 1998)

14 December 1998

Ian Chappell on the 3rd Test

Ian Chappell

THE Australian bowling attack work well as a combination and this was evident in the demolition job they did on England at the Adelaide Oval.

Michael Atherton had subdued Glenn McGrath in his early spells, but he struck back with the old ball to start the downward spiral in yet another spectacular England collapse.

He began by tying the batsmen down and just when Mark Ramprakash was starting to look comfortable getting well forward to cover the movement off the seam, he produced a steeply-lifting delivery to surprise him and produce a catch in the slips.

Meanwhile, Stuart MacGill took full advantage of the batsmen being becalmed and spun a web of mystery at the other end. Leg-spinners love it when they have the opportunity to bowl at one batsman with very little interruption as this allows them to slowly put a plan into operation.

MacGill must also enjoy the fact that most England batsmen just plonk their foot forward and then try and play from that set position. It's the equivalent of a hunter having a rabbit mesmerised by the spotlight. When the batsmen then send the bat on a reconnaissance mission, searching for clues as to the ball's expected whereabouts, it is only a matter of time before the sharply-spinning leg-break finds the edge and two of the world's best catchers await.

Like Shane Warne, who enjoys bowling in tandem with McGrath, MacGill showed his appreciation at being paired with the lanky quickie and further added to his fast growing reputation. Like batsmen, bowlers need to work well together and the Australians complement each other beautifully.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)