The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Hogg keen to show his wares again

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Hogg keen to show his wares again

Special Correspondent

— Photo: AP

UP FOR THE CHALLENGE: Brad Hogg will hope to cement his place in the Test team with a convincing performance in the second Test.

Sydney: Australia’s chinaman and googly bowler Brad Hogg said on Monday that he looked forward to the challenge of bowling to the Indian batsmen, the world’s best players of spin, on the traditionally spin-friendly Sydney Cricket Ground track.

“I’ll try not to go in (to the second Test) with pressure, but see it as a challenge,” said Hogg. “It’s a chance to show your craft against their great players of spin, so it’s a chance I appreciate and enjoy.”

Hogg said, however, that the track here had changed character over the years. “I think it’s just become different, and you have to work harder as a spinner for your wickets. But, that’s the nature of the beast, having to bowl in different conditions.”

The 36-year-old wrist spinner said his past success at the SCG, both in one-day and state cricket, will help. Hogg also spoke of the benefits of bowling behind Australia’s pace trio. “Having three fantastic quicks who keep it tight is good for me,” he said. “They (batsmen) will attack me and that’ll keep me in the game.”

Hogg said he was nervous in the first Test (“good nerves” however), and had expected India’s batsmen to “come after me”. He was pleased with the way he responded, particularly dismissing Sourav Ganguly in both innings of his 100th Test. The confidence of having taken wickets, he said, would allow him to settle faster here.

Being “an impatient sort of a bloke”, Hogg said he was working on his patience while bowling long spells. “I just like to get a wicket every ball, but that’s not the way it works at this level. It’s like a game of chess where you set a batsman up and that takes time.”

The flipper

On the flipper, the ball that did in Ganguly and Yuvraj Singh, Hogg said, “Well, I’ve had that ball a couple of years and a few of the guys asked me to put it away in the locker. I just thought I’d try it again — you may as well use it if you have it.”

Hogg said he didn’t think about the shoes he was filling. “I don’t even want to go close to it. Shane Warne is the greatest leg-spinner the world has seen. I’m a different bowler, a different character. If I become 50 per cent of the bowler he was, I’ll be lucky.”

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