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Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Australia's batting problems are due to ego, says Ravindra Jadeja


Australia's batting problems are due to ego, says Ravindra Jadeja

INDIAN allrounder Ravindra Jadeja says Australia's batsmen lack the patience of their English counterparts and are susceptible to getting out because of their "egos".
In an intriguing assessment with the Ashes just four months away, Jadeja believes Australia's batting arsenal, headlined by Michael Clarke, David Warner, Shane Watson, Phil Hughes and Ed Cowan, can be lured into fatal error by stifling their run-scoring.

The Jadeja jab came after an eventful fourth day of the first Test in which rookie Australian allrounder Moises Henriques thumped an unbeaten 75 to stave off an innings defeat and give the tourists a 40-run lead with one wicket in han
d.
Jadeja (2-68) claimed the key wicket of Phil Hughes for a third-ball duck yesterday, sparking a top-order collapse which saw Australia slump to 5-121 before Henriques' recovery mission.

The 24-year-old made his Test debut against England in December and believes the Australians are more likely to lash out when tied down.

"The difference between the English batsmen and the Australians is the English guys are a lot more patient," he said. 

"If we bowl maidens to the Australians, they have an ego. If we contain them for four overs, we feel like they will play a rash shot. That's what we're expecting from them.
"We want to get them out as quickly as possible tomorrow and then score runs quickly.

"What's making the pitch difficult is the footmarks, some balls don't bounce and there is inconsistent turn."
Henriques attributed Australia's top-order collapse to a wearing, venonmous Chennai pitch rather than any ego-driven strokeplay.

The Portuguese-born Test debutant pointed to the dismissal of skipper Clarke, who was trapped lbw by Ravi Ashwin with a vicious delivery that turned sharply from off to leg.

“It’s that type of wicket where you almost have to concentrate as if every ball is your first one because you have to stay sharp and make sure you’re alert for that one that does act a little differently," he said.

"Sometimes you will get one that you just can’t do anything about. If you get out to that one, that’s fine. But you’ve just got to try and predict how they’re trying to get you out and combat that as well as you can.

“I was in disbelief that Michael Clarke got out for under 100. It was always going to take a ball like that to get someone who puts such a high price on his wicket.
"I knew that those things were going to happen.
"Michael said to us before we went out to bat that you’ve just got to play to the conditions and if you get a ball like that then so be it. You can’t really do too much. There’s nothing that Michael could have done about that ball."

Meanwhile, Test quick Jackson Bird will return to Australia today to receive a precautionary scan on his back.

Australian team doctor Peter Brukner said: “Jackson has reported some low-level back pain and we feel the best course of action to determine the issue is to send him back to Australia for scans.

“If the scans come back clear then he will return to India to take up his place with the squad.”

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