Australian batting coach Michael di Venuto admits batsmen must ‘toughen up
Whatever the decision, the pressure surrounding the selection has been reduced immeasurably by the re-emergence of Steven Finn. He is tired of the questions of how it all went so badly wrong and prefers to concentrate on the future when he hopes to be the leader of the England attack.
“Cooky (Alastair Cook) is very clear that it’s all about us this week”.
The commonly held theory is that it was all David Saker’s fault.
Finn lost his way after tinkering with his action and run-up, initially in an attempt to cure his habit of kicking over the stumps in delivery. “But I’ve heard there have been a few articles questioning me for not having that hunger inside me”, he wrote.
I felt my bowling programme should have been about bowling me nearly up to the point of injury, rather than protecting me from it.
“To query me on my starvation kills me, it completely kills me, as a result of I satisfaction myself on making an attempt to get higher each single day”, he stated.
“I would love to do that one day, that’s a massive ambition of mine”. That has been and gone.
Stuart Broad incensed the Australians by refusing to walk after edging a catch in a previous series and has got a rough reception in Australia at times.
“What’s going on out on the field has a very immediate effect on how everyone else is feeling back in the dressing room”.
“I have full trust in those guys, Starcy (Mitchell Starc) and (Josh) Hazlewood, to do the job but I’m always prepared to bowl in any position”, he added. You’re in a bit of trouble (when you do that).
Finn’s six second innings wickets included dismissing both Steven Smith and Michael Clarke for the second time in the match, as well as removing Adam Voges first ball.
In an article written for The Telegraph, McGrath identified an element of the Australian’s game that lead to their demise.
Facing a virtual knockout situation, Johnson compared the Trent Bridge Test to a tournament final for the Australians. I don’t mind it when worldwide cricketers come in and make mistakes, because that’s when you stop taking the game for granted.
Looking at it in hindsight, it probably was a good toss to lose.
The captain admitted after last week’s eight-wicket loss at Edgbaston that his batting slump meant the team was playing with 10 men.
Clarke said: “People can certainly have a shot at me about my performance, but they can t have a shot at me about my desire and my will to play this great game”. It did not. Johnson largely bowled the fuller length he has tended to adopt for much of this series and when he reverted again to the occasional bumper it was no longer on the button.
Durham’s Chris Rushworth, the leading wicket-taker in LV= County Championship Division One with 64 scalps at an average of under 20, was watched on Friday by national selector James Whitaker and believes he has a chance of a surprise debut.
“I like my skills to do the talking”. I’m 34, not 37, and I need to hold enjoying for Australia past this collection. I was getting exhausted earlier and my lifestyle was getting on top of me.