Sport

A good comeback by the bowlers

Shaun Tait has shown that he is ready for the big stage,writes GLENN McGRATH

— Photo: AFP

COMING GOOD: In the absence of Brett Lee, Shaun Tait and Nathan Bracken have acquitted themselves well.

The win against England was satisfying for many reasons. We had batted first in our games against South Africa and the West Indies, and this was the first game that the bowlers got to see how things went when we chased.

Our bowlers bounced back very well just when it looked like England would be setting us a target of 300-plus. Many questions were asked about our bowling, especially after we failed to defend big totals in New Zealand.

The absence of Brett Lee was also a major concern at that time, especially because his replacement Shaun Tait had no experience in these conditions.

In Australia we always pride ourselves on our bench strength, and against England, Shaun showed that he is ready for the big stage. He was impressive not only with the new ball, when he accounted for Andrew Strauss and Michael Vaughan, but also with the old because he got it to reverse at his pace.

Quietly efficient

Nathan Bracken has always been quietly efficient and even when the English batsmen were on the rampage, his bowling analysis remained impeccable. I was pretty happy with the way I bowled in the final overs. As a bowling unit, I think it was a great comeback in the last 15 overs.

This outing will stand us in good stead in the last phase of the tournament, particularly since we are playing tough games starting next week.

We take on Ireland, an easy game that needs to be taken out of the way as soon as possible. Ireland has played good games against England and to a lesser extent against South Africa. It's a team we don't know much about, but if we play our game with the same intensity as we approach other games, we win.

The hosts of the tournament have virtually been eliminated, and I hope that their exit will not affect the atmosphere of the remaining games. The West Indies have been getting good results in one-day cricket over the last two years, so local fans would be pretty disappointed at the way things have gone for them in the Super Eight.

I am sure Brian Lara would have liked to announce his retirement from one-dayers at a happier time, but I hope his last two games see him get the send-off he so richly deserves. I have never bowled to a more challenging left-hander, and we have had some special battles through our careers.

We have played each other on many occasions, and I have never seen a batsman who looks as invincible as he does once he gets in. He has been the fulcrum of his team for many years now, and I am sure this move will help him extend his Test career.

Gameplan

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