AUS vs NZ | Ready to bat at No 6, whatever is best for the team, attests Tim Paine
Australian skipper Tim Paine said that he is ready to bat at number 6 given the situation they need to play five regular bowlers after assession the MCG pitch on matchday. It also means pacer Michael Neser is in the line to make his Test debut if Aussies decide to drop a regular batsman.
After Australia’s head coach Justin Langer confirmed the inclusion of James Pattinson in the eleven, another pacer is in the mix to be Aussie’s fifth specialist bowling option. It is likely for pacer Michael Neser to make debut if they do with that strategy. Australian team with world-class bowlers in their ranks throughout their cricketing journey is seldom seen to have played with five bowlers.
However, skipper Tim Paine has kept the suspense till they physically see the wicket on tomorrow, matchday.
"We'll find out tomorrow. The wicket is a bit unknown ... but we've got a plan in place for both scenarios (with Neser or without). We've probably got two different teams (in mind), to be honest, so we'll make the final call tomorrow," Paine said on Wednesday, according to cricket.com.au.
He aired that it has been tough for the bowlers on the MCG wicket to get 20 wickets.
"Looking at the wicket in the last two or three Boxing Day Test matches, it's been very hard to take 20 wickets. Our batting team has been scoring a lot of runs so if we were to go one more bowler, we would be comfortable they could do the job. The bowlers we would be bringing in can all bat so while we're taking a batter out, we're probably lengthening our line-up,” Paine said.
If Australia opt to play five specialist bowlers, Paine who usually bats at no. 7 will have to bat a slot earlier at 6.
"If I have to bat in the top six, then that's what I'll do. I am not too fussed whether it's six or seven. There is not a huge difference. So, we are all here to do what we think is best for the team." said Paine, who averages 30.40 in 29 Tests without a century.
If the Queenslander, Michael Neser makes debut, he would be the 459th player to play Test for Australia.
One is the talk about the composition and the other being the highly speculated MCG pitch which has been under immense scrutiny after a Sheffield Shield game between Victoria and Western Australia was abandoned with it being deemed unfit. Paine said that he is expecting more life on the track.
"It has got some pretty thick live grass on it at the moment which I haven't seen before but, again, speaking to Sidds and Patto and 'Ronny', in the early Shield games when it was nipping around, that was on day one, then it became a pretty good wicket to bat for the majority of the game. We saw a little bit of spin from [Queensland's] Mitchell Swepson late in a Shield game here against Victoria as well. Their feedback has been that, barring the one game against Western Australia, the wicket has been much improved and a very good cricket wicket," Paine said.
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