New Delhi, Oct 16 (IANS) Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood believes reverse swing could once again prove decisive in the second Test against South Africa in Gqeberha, with the condition of the pitch and the ball likely to influence the contest between the two sides.
Australia head into the second Test with confidence after securing a victory in the series opener in Durban, where Hazlewood produced a career-best haul of six wickets for 49 runs to help his side clinch the match. The experienced pacer expects the conditions at St George’s Park to determine how much assistance fast bowlers receive from reverse swing.
Hazlewood said the surface in Durban played a significant role in helping the ball reverse as the match progressed, allowing Australia’s bowlers to exploit the changing conditions.
“In Australia, with the green seamers, it just doesn’t get talked about at all. The ball still looks new late in the innings if it gets that far. So it’s more; if you go back to SCG years ago, we definitely got reversed there every year,” Hazlewood said as quoted by Cricinfo.
“Here in South Africa, it was just an abrasive wicket; it was very hard underfoot. We probably got a hint of it in the first innings, and then as the game goes, it just sort of deteriorates more, and you get a bit more. So we knew it was crucial,” he added.
The Australian pacer also stressed that a harder ball producing a modest amount of reverse swing could be more effective than excessive movement with a softer ball, as it allows fast bowlers to retain pace and bounce.
“You probably want the ball a bit harder and a little bit of reverse swing rather than a lot of reverse swing with the ball soft. It’s much easier to navigate as a batsman. You still want that carry with a harder ball. Just a hint of reverse swing, I think, is the key,” he said.
Hazlewood said the nature of the surface would be crucial in determining whether reverse swing becomes a significant factor again.
“The conditions sort of dictate it. If the wicket is hard, firm, and deteriorating, and there’s no seam movement, you’re probably going to get that reverse swing just due to the basic conditions of the ground, the square, and the wicket,” he said.
Australia will also look to build on their strong start to the series at St George’s Park, a venue where they have experienced mixed results in Test cricket. The visitors have won three, lost four and drawn two of their previous nine Test matches at the ground, formerly known as Port Elizabeth.
–IANS
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