4th Test, Day 5: Michael Kasprowicz Criticizes Australia's Combination Against India

4th Test, Day 5: Australia has picked the wrong team; had to pick at least three fast bowlers, says (Image Source: IANS)

Former fast bowler Michael Kasprowicz believes Australia picked the wrong team for the fourth Test against India in Ahmedabad, adding that the visitors' should have picked three fast bowlers for the match at Narendra Modi Stadium.

After winning the third Test in Indore by nine wickets, Australia stuck to their bowling combination of three spinners, and only one genuine pace bowler in Mitchell Starc, and supported by all-rounder Cameron Green. Australia had other pace options in Scott Boland, who played Nagpur Test, as well as uncapped tearaway quick Lance Morris.

"I'm going to call it nose and toes. As a fast bowler, if we want to get stuck in, we either try and hit them on the nose or hit them on the toes. The fact that we've seen this wicket right now, it's just a bat-a-thon, we'll get nothing like the earlier games with the wicket turning square."

"My point is, Australia has picked the wrong team, what they had to do was pick at least three fast bowlers. (We've got Green and Starc), but one is an all-rounder and Starc is always good with an older ball," Kasprowicz said on SENQ Breakfast show.

Kasprowicz was an integral part of the Australian side that last won a Test series in India in 2004, and he felt the visitors should have gone with a bowling combination that resembled the one he played in during that series.

"But if we had three fast bowlers plus a spinner - this is the program we went with in India in 2004. The Australian side went in with Glenn McGrath who is the best ever, Jason Gillespie and myself, we also had Shane Warne who was a pretty hander spinner as well."

"Over 90 overs a day, the reason I say pick fast bowlers is that they can create something on these flat wickets. They could hit the pitch halfway down, send it up near the nose of the batsman, force him on the back foot to trap him in front for the LBW."

"A bit of nose and toes action, that's my point, maybe that's what made Australia so successful that year and we've just gone with a total left turn with spin. That's against the best spin players in the world in their conditions," he concluded.

"Over 90 overs a day, the reason I say pick fast bowlers is that they can create something on these flat wickets. They could hit the pitch halfway down, send it up near the nose of the batsman, force him on the back foot to trap him in front for the LBW."