Mike Hussey has warned his Australian teammates to watch out for Monty Panesar’s ”Doosra” should he form a two-pronged spinning attack for England in Friday’s second Ashes cricket Test in Adelaide.
England coach Duncan Fletcher said on Tuesday he was considering playing both left-arm spinners, Ashley Giles and Panesar, in Adelaide and if he carries that through one of the three seamers, Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard or James Anderson, will have to go.
Hussey spent a lot of time in the nets with a young Panesar when he played three seasons of county cricket for Northamptonshire from 2001, captaining the county in 2002 and 2003.
England played conservatively by preferring the more experienced Giles for the first Gabba Test and he finished with 1-113 runs.
Panesar, the first Sikh to play Test cricket for England, is considered a more attacking bowler than Giles, and Hussey has been impressed with him.
”Monty gets more overspin on the ball so he’s more of an up and over bowler,” Hussey told reporters on Tuesday.
”When I was playing with him at Northamptonshire he was trying to produce a ‘Doosra’, which can be a difficult ball to play if you get it right.
”Giles is more about keeping it tight and bowling into the rough and building pressure that way.”
Hussey, known as ”Mr Cricket” because of his boundless enthusiasm and dedication to the game, said he expects both spinners to present a challenge on the Adelaide Oval pitch.
”Personally, I’m not bothered either way. I think they can both be tough when the conditions are right,” he said.
Hussey, who averages 75 in Test cricket, said he batted a lot in the nets against Panesar at Northampton.
”A few of my teammates used to say we were a marriage made in heaven — he used to like to bowl all day and I used to bat all day in the nets.
”We used to have plenty of battles in the nets.
”I was really impressed because he was such a young spinner. Yet he knew his game and the importance of discipline in his bowling.
”He had a good grasp of that from a very young age and I always thought he would get better and better tactically the more cricket he played.”
Panesar has taken 32 wickets in 10 Tests since he replaced an injured Giles last March.
Hussey dismissed suggestions England were not as potent as when they won the Ashes last year in England.
”They showed a lot of fight and a lot of spirit, which is what we expect from England,” said Hussey, who hit 86 in Australia’s massive 602-9 first innings.
”I think it’s great we played so well in this Test match but I’m expecting England to come out and play very well in Adelaide and I’m expecting a very tough Test match and so are all the guys.”
Meanwhile, the Adelaide Oval pitch for Friday’s second Ashes cricket Test will crack up progressively during the match, favouring spinners, groundsman Les Burdett said on Tuesday.
The Adelaide pitch traditionally favours early pace and bounce, and then extensive spin on days four and five, and there will be little different during the second Test, Burdett said.
However, Burdett said extreme heat — 38 degrees Celsius is forecast on Wednesday — may affect his pitch preparations, ahead of a change to cooler temperatures predicted for the eve of the Test.
”When you do prepare a pitch you put the grass under extreme stress, to a point where if you over roll them you can take them to wilting point, where it just collapses,” he said.
”The pitch will crack, and it will open up, but it won’t be excessive unless the temperatures get excessive. — Sapa-AFP