SPORTS

Bracken's recipe to fox Indian batsmen

Source:PTI
November 17, 2003 00:26 IST

Australian speedster Nathan Bracken on Sunday spelt out his recipe for humbling Indian batsmen in the November 18 triangular cricket series final in Kolkata.

"We have to do the right thing at the right time. We have to hit the right areas at the right time and build up pressure on them," Bracken, who has been a success story in the ongoing tri-series with 13 scalps so far, told newspersons.

Bracken said he considered bowling to Indian batsmen, particularly Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, V V S Laxman and Virender Sehwag, "challenging."

The Aussie pacer, who made it into the squad after the frontline bowlers pulled out due to injuries, said he was enjoying the prospect of playing India before a huge gathering at the Eden Gardens.

"Every game is fun for me. I play for fun. I'm enjoying the tour. It will be fun to play India before a gathering of 100,000," he said after a net session.

Asked what target Australia had in mind for the hosts if they batted first, Bracken said, "If we bowl well, any score between 200 and 300 could be tough."

Bracken, whom Aussie coach John Buchanan described as the find of the tour, said he found the sub-continent conditions were quite good for bowling. "The wickets may be slow, but they respond very well to change of pace. However, I did have to bring on certain changes to my bowling action and the way I bowl to suit the conditions," he said.

"In these conditions, you cannot bowl way outside the off stump. You have to keep a tighter line and tend to bowl straighter than one normally does outside the subcontinent because bad balls, which might fetch two or three runs elsewhere, is sure to be despatched to the ropes in these conditions," he said.

Asked how confident he was of retaining his place in the side once the frontline bowlers staged a comeback, Bracken said, "I have no idea. I only play well and leave the rest to the selectors."

He received valuable tips from former speedsters Geoff Lawson, Bruce Reid and A Davidson on Indian conditions before embarking on the trip. Incidentally, the first two had coached Bracken in Australia.
Source: PTI
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