The Hindu : Sport : ‘Calm approach did the trick’

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Sunday, Jul 22, 2007
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Sport

‘Calm approach did the trick’

Special Correspondent

London: Indian opening bowler Sreesanth said the marked improvement in the bowling effort on the second day had to do with the settling of nerves.

“That’s exactly what happened to me,” said Sreesanth, when asked if he had been overawed by the occasion of bowling at Lord’s.

“I decided to keep things simple and not think too much. Maybe the rain helped us. I listened to a lot of music, I was just relaxing and the moment the umpires said the game is on from 1:50, I said, ‘OK cool’.

I was lucky R.P. (Singh) was bowling a few overs, so I had some more time. He got the first wicket and I said, ‘OK, he’s hitting the right areas’. I’d decided to do the same in the morning. Venky (Prasad) really helped us. When there was a delay in the start he told me not to lose the focus and come back hard.”

Unsurprisingly, Sreesanth refused to be drawn into comment on the reversal of the caught-behind decision involving Kevin Pietersen. “If he (Zaheer) got him once, we were sure he was going to get him twice. If you can get somebody out once, I’m sure he can be out again.”

James Anderson, who dismissed Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar on day two, said he wasn’t sure what had happened with Pietersen. “A few of the guys spotted it, but I’m not sure exactly what happened.”

What happened after Pietersen returned on the same score? “These things happen don’t they? Obviously we’d have liked for him to continue, but he got a good ball.”

Anderson credited Allan Donald, who’s working with the English bowlers, for his improvement. “He (Donald) has a very different approach — he talks more about match situations and less about run-ups.”

The swing bowler added he enjoyed the responsibility of leading an inexperienced attack.

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