Australian selectors have been wise by selecting a batting
line up that is predominantly right handed for the first Ashes Test starting in
Brisbane on Thursday. Apart from the two
openers, Warner and Rogers, Mitchell Johnson is the only other left hand
batsmen. The rest of the batting is right handed giving Australia an advantage
when it comes to tackling England off spinner Graeme Swann.
Swann was the leading wicket taker in the Ashes in England
with 26 wickets but the ace off spinner’s career record suggests he is more
effective against left handers. In his
Test career so far Swann has 118 wickets at 26 against left hand batsmen compared
to his 130 wickets at 33 against right hand batsmen.
During the Ashes in England as the number of left handers in
the Australian team decreased Swann became less effective. In the 1st Test Australia
had six lefties in the 2nd it
was 5, in those Test matches Swann picked up 13 wickets at 22.07. While in the
next three Australia respectively had four three and three. In those matches
Swann picked up 13 at 36.
One person that needs to devise a plan against the off
spinner is Chris Rogers, one of the main reason Rogers was unable to convert
starts in England is because he fell to the spinner 6 times out of 10 innings. Swann also managed to dismiss Khawaja fell to
Swann four times and Hughes three, it was one of the reasons Australia was not
able to capitalise on the starts given by the top order. Rogers aside most of
the other batsmen Swann managed to dismiss are not part of the eleven in
Brisbane giving Australia a significant advantage in the middle order.
Come Brisbane the middle order will compromise of two of
Australia’s most prime batsmen against spin in Clarke and Smith. The inclusion
of Bailey also adds to the strength with the Tasmanian showing promise against
Indian spinners in the recent ODI series. Bailey was severe on Indian
off-spinner, Ravi Ashwin, the man that led the rout in the 4-0 whitewash
earlier this year.
Swann has been successful against left hand batsmen because
he spins the ball away enticing them to play against the spin which is not
Australia’s stronghold. In contrast the
right handers have been able to work him on the onside with the spin. With Cook’s
defensive field settings, likes of Smith and Clarke are able to nudge easy
singles to rotate the strike and get on top of England’s most effective bowler as they did in the last three test matches.
The selectors may or may not have done it deliberately but will
it certainly benefit Australia to tackle England’s second most effective
bowler. Stacking the side with right
handers might be the simplest but the most effective solution.
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