The Hindu : Sport : Injured McGrath may be rested

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Friday, Dec 01, 2006
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Injured McGrath may be rested

Ted Corbett

ADELAIDE : Is modern cricket history about to repeat itself?

Glenn McGrath who hurt himself in the warm-up ahead of the second Test at Edgbaston in 2005 is injured again ahead of the second Test at Adelaide beginning on Friday. Despite that injury Ricky Ponting went ahead with plans to put England in to bat and in the tightest finish imaginable England levelled the series, which it went on to win 2-1.

Australia is sufficiently worried about the gravity of McGrath's sore heel — which he damaged taking seven for 103 in the first Test — to postpone announcing its team until the start. I see that as a significant factor since it has made a point of laying its team before the public 24 hours in advance as a gesture of self-confidence.

Not to be expected

At this stage of his career McGrath, 36, cannot be expected to roll out one great performance after another and it was noticeable that he was a less effective bowler in the second innings in Brisbane than he was grabbing six for 50 in the first.

A rest may be what he needs rather than the grind of playing in back-to-back Tests; first in the heat of the tropics and the second on the batsman's pitch at Adelaide Oval where bowlers have to work hard for their wickets even though only five Tests have ever been drawn here.

If McGrath is left out, for either a rest or to make sure the back of his heel improves, that will mean a chance for Shaun Tait, a 23-year-old Adelaide boy who says he is desperate for the chance to play on his home ground.

England may make one change — if the selectors' nerve holds. Monty Panesar, superb left-arm slow bowler, unsure fielder and a batsman who is working hard to improve on little ability, is in the mix probably in place of the quick bowler James Anderson.

Panesar's paeans of praise

Panesar reports in his website diary that Fletcher has gone out of his way to help him and I cannot see Fletcher going to those lengths unless he believes Panesar can be effective. "His advice has been invaluable," says Panesar.

There is one improvement Panesar will bring. He is determined to make a success of his cricket career and one sometimes has the feeling that James Anderson does not care enough.

England took one step forward this week - by reporting that Steve Harmison, its wayward fast bowler, was back on target. It took another pace backward when Michael Vaughan, its captain of 2005, was out for nought in his first practice game after injury.

That seven ball innings confirms my feeling that England will do nothing to risk Vaughan in this series. It has asked Michael Holding, the great West Indies fast bowler, to help Harmison.

Holding says he knows what is wrong but then so does everyone who has ever been to a cricket match in the last 100 years apparently.

The teams (from):

Australia: Ricky Ponting (capt.), Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Damien Martyn, Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Stuart Clark, Glenn McGrath, Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson.

England: Andrew Flintoff (capt.), Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Kevin Pietersen, Geraint Jones, Ashley Giles, Matthew Hoggard, Monty Panesar, Steve Harmison and James Anderson.

Umpires: Steve Bucknor (West Indies) and Rudi Koertzen (South Africa).

Match referee: Jeff Crowe (New Zealand).

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