Hobart (Australia), Dec.8 (ANI): Australia's bowling coach Craig McDermott couldn't be happier with Victorian speedster Peter Siddle, whose reputation as an honest workhorse among a pack of rising colts has others worrying about his place in the Test attack.
McDermott delivered Siddle a much-needed dose of reassurance about his place in the team, speaking presciently about the supreme fitness that should allow Siddle to be a constant, competitive presence in an otherwise changeable attack.
McDermott also believes Siddle is well on the way to becoming much more than the wholehearted toiler whose straight-up spells to England batsmen Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott last summer prompted him, with the encouragement of the new pace mentor, to seek a fuller length and a touch of outswing.
"I think Peter is going very well. He bowled well in Sri Lanka [when he was recalled for the last Test in Colombo], he was the pick of our quicks there. We've been working on bowling a fuller length, which Peter hasn't done in the past and certainly he has taken to that very well," McDermott told the Herald.
He added: "That has improved a great deal. We have changed his grip from about five or six months ago to try to swing the ball away, which he is doing fairly consistently, so I think Peter's bowling has changed significantly in the past four or five months. Certainly mixed with the aggression he showed in Brisbane, his bouncers and so forth, setting players up to get them out. So I am very happy with his progress at the moment."
Cummins' long-term absence eases the pressure on Siddle, who averages 32 runs per wicket after 26 Tests, and whose most recent five-wicket haul was in last year's Boxing Day Test.
Siddle was briefly edged out of the attack by Trent Copeland in Sri Lanka and has since witnessed the rapid emergence of James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc, with the injury-afflicted Ryan Harris still regarded as Australia's best fast bowler, when fit.
McDermott said Siddle's importance as a reliable bowling partner to the young quicks should not be underestimated.
Nor should it be forgotten that on the fourth day at the Gabba, Siddle topped the 150km/h mark six times.
"I think he has some more improvement in him, I can see some further development over the summer. He has a fantastic motor, he bowled for an hour and 25 [minutes] on the last day in Sri Lanka in massively hot conditions and 90 per cent humidity so he is certainly a guy we can depend on to bowl 20 to 25 overs in a day and back up the next day. For that, he gets a massive tick with me," McDermott said.
He added: " I don't want to put the mockers on him but I think a bag of wickets is just around the corner for him." (ANI)
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