Australian fast bowler Shaun Tait has vowed to give some chin music to Indias much vaunted batting line-up during the forthcoming four-match Test series between the two countries.
Sydney, Dec.13 : Australian fast bowler Shaun Tait has vowed to give some chin music to India's much vaunted batting line-up during the forthcoming four-match Test series between the two countries.
Tait will step up his campaign for a Test recall tomorrow in the opening Chappell-Hadlee game at the Adelaide Oval against New Zealand, whose batsmen, he feels, he has already unnerved.
"They'll come off the flat tracks over there in India and be faced with some hard wickets in Australia. It would be brilliant to face up against them. There's been a ot of talk about their difficulty playing the short ball, and if I get a gig I'll definitely try and expose that," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Tait, as saying.
The Adelaide Hills boy declared himself in the form of his life on Tuesday, but he will still have to convince chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch and his panel that he can succeed in the longer form of the game to join Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson in the Test attack, with only the three one-day internationals before Boxing Day.
He did, however, collect 10 wickets in his most recent four-day game for South Australia.
"It's hard. You can bowl well in these limited-overs matches and it's all good, but Test matches are a different story," he said.
"My last four-day game wouldn't have done me any harm, but the Australian side is such a force, it's hard to break in. I don't see why [Australia shouldn't play four quicks] but they've got Brad Hogg, who's bowling brilliant as well. It's a tough school and I probably know as much as anyone else," he added.
Tait claims that he is sending the cricket ball at batsmen at speeds close to the 160kmh thunderbolt he sent down at the MCG last summer.
He made an impression with the nasty bouncer to batsman Jamie How. The ball reared up and looped off How's glove, allowing Adam Gilchrist to take an acrobatic catch.
"I saw Brett, the first ball of the game, bowl a bouncer and got a wicket, so I thought, 'Oh well, I'll give it a go," Tait said. "It took his glove off, so after looking at that, and I knocked over Rosco [Ross Taylor] fourth pill and just watching Brett bowl, they looked pretty uncomfortable."
Tait said he was not worried about the lack of four-day cricket as preparation for the Test series.
"I think I'll be fine," he said. "I'm feeling pretty fit at the moment. The last few games have definitely helped the fitness in my legs. I feel I'm bowling at my best at the moment," he said.
ANI