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ESPNcricinfo previews the IPL game between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals in Bangalore

The Preview by Devashish Fuloria14-Apr-2012

Match facts

Sunday, April 15, Bangalore
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)Johan Botha will need to lead the young spinners to counter the Royal Challengers batsmen•Associated Press

Big picture

Both Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals have lost two consecutive games. In their last outing, Royal Challengers suffered a freak loss at the hands of Albie Morkel in Chennai, while Royals failed to put enough runs in Kolkata. For both teams, their last defeats have come in away games* and therefore, Royal Challengers playing in Bangalore would hold an edge.The venue is not the only difference between the teams. Royal Challengers have a far more potent line up of international players – Indian and foreign. Compare that to Royals and they have Ankeet Chavan, Ashok Menaria, Amit Singh and Shreevats Goswami to challenge Daniel Vettori, Saurabh Tiwary, Zaheer Khan and Virat Kohli. Man to man, there is a massive gap in experience. However, the Royals have fought hard, even in their losses and at the helm, they have a relaxed Rahul Dravid who has been a part of a number of upset wins in his career.In the last game played at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Muttiah Muralitharan and Vettori derailed Delhi Daredevils’ chase with incisive spells. Royals have used a combination of spinners in their last two games. They might want to keep it that way and not allow any pace to Royal Challengers’ ensemble of stroke makers. For the home side, Tillakaratne Dilshan will struggle to find a place in the eleven.

Players to watch

Virat Kohli had a forgettable outing in his last game but he still managed to score 57 runs, not fluent, but still important runs. He is known to be a fierce competitor and he would quickly want to acquit himself from the ignominy of bowling that 28-run over.If Johan Botha opens the bowling, which he often does, his duel with Chris Gayle could decide the rest of the game. He has bowled with control in the four games, but has managed to pick up only two wickets. Just one big wicket here and his captain wouldn’t complain.

2011 head-to-head

Last year, Royal Challengers demolished the Royals in Jaipur by nine wickets, courtesy of a 44-ball 76 from Gayle. The other match in Bangalore was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Stats and trivia

• Johan Botha has bowled 13 balls to Chris Gayle in IPL and has given away 21 runs. Four off them in overthrows and another four off a dropped catch.
• Cheteshwar Pujara has played six innings for Royal Challengers and has scored 51 runs.
• Royal challengers have played Royals seven times and hold a 4-3 advantage.
  

  Quotes

  ” We had about 40 runs [in last two overs]. We thought even if they get 20 runs off Virat, they will have 20 runs to get. Unfortunately that over went for 29 runs (sic. 28), so they had about 15 runs to get [off the last over].”

  “We are trying to make them [young Indian bowlers] learn as quickly as possible. We have not been outclassed at all. Credit to youngsters who are fighting hard. We just hope to come over the line soon”
  April 14: 13:40 GMT The article earlier stated that RCB won their home game. This has been corrected.

Tom Westley fell to the last ball of the day as Essex stumbled in their pursuit of Leicestershire’s first-innings 372

17-May-2012
ScorecardLate wickets by Nathan Buck and Wayne White put Leicestershire in the driving seat at the end of the second day of their Division Two clash with Essex at Grace Road. Buck had Adam Wheater caught behind and White trapped Tom Westley lbw for 81 with the last ball of the day, to leave Essex on 239 for 5 – still 133 behind the home side’s first innings total of 372.Westley and Mark Pettini (57) looked to have given Essex the edge with a third-wicket stand of 133 until the two late dismissals turned things in Leicestershire’s favour again.
David Masters completed a six-wicket haul at the start of the day as Leicestershire suffered a late order collapse. The hosts would have been disappointed to miss out on maximum batting points having resumed on 323 for 5, losing their last five wickets for 21 runs in eight overs.Masters, who left Leicestershire to join Essex five years ago, finished with 6 for 82, the fifth time in 11 games against Leicestershire he has taken five wickets – last season he claimed a career best eight for 10 against them at Southend.The 34-year-old seamer, who had picked up four of the five wickets to fall on the first day, collected two more as Leicestershire’s innings folded rapidly following a 20-minute stoppage for a rain shower. White, having reached 50 off 104 balls, edged Charl Willoughby to slip before Masters dismissed Ned Eckersley with a catch behind, then bowled Matthew Hoggard to bring the innings to an end.On the slow-paced pitch, Billy Godleman and Alviro Petersen gave Essex their best start so far this season. They put on 54 in 17 overs until Hoggard struck twice in successive overs, trapping both openers leg before wicket.Westley and Pettini put the brake on Leicestershire’s progress with a gritty partnership, although both survived difficult chances. Will Jefferson just got his fingertips to an edge from Pettini and Westley was put down by Ramnaresh Sarwan at slip on 31.White finally broke through Pettini’s defence to flatten his off-stump and end a stand of 135 in 42 overs, then Buck had Adam Wheater caught behind, before White snapped up the vital wicket of Westley – who hit 12 fours in his 172-ball innings.

Billy Doctrove has announced his retirement from umpiring in international cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jun-2012Billy Doctrove, a member of the ICC’s Elite panel of umpires, has announced his retirement from international cricket. Doctrove, who served as an international umpire for 14 years, will not be seeking a renewal of his contract after it expires at the end of this month.Doctrove was due to officiate in the ODI and Test series between Sri Lanka and Pakistan but had to withdraw and return home to Dominica due to a family bereavement. The second Test between New Zealand and South Africa in Hamilton in March this year was his last international assignment.”After much consideration I have informed the selectors of my decision to retire,” Doctrove said. “It has been an incredible 14 years for me as an international umpire and I have enjoyed every moment of it.”It has been a dream journey and to supervise international matches which were played by many great players at iconic venues.”I am also honoured and privileged to have been part of the transformation process in cricket with the introduction of technology which is now considered as an integral component of international cricket and the introduction of the revolutionary twenty20 format which has taken cricket to a completely new level.”Doctrove made his international umpiring debut in 1998, in an ODI between West Indies and England in St Vincent, and stood in his first Test two years later when West Indies took on Pakistan in Antigua. He went on to stand in 38 Tests, 112 ODIs and 17 T20 internationals, including the final of the ICC World Twenty20 between England and Australia in Barbados in 2010. He became part of the ICC’s International Panel of Umpires in 2004 and was promoted to the Elite Panel in 2006.”It was a highlight to umpire in the ICC World Twenty20 final in Barbados,” he said. “That was a special and an unforgettable occasion. I am extremely thankful to my family and friends worldwide, for their support and encouragement that they afforded to me during my career.”I would also like to thank the WICB and the ICC for the many opportunities they provided me to serve this wonderful game.”Doctrove umpired in the controversial Oval Test of 2006 between England and Pakistan. His on-field partner then was Darrell Hair, who was at the centre of the controversy. Accusations of ball-tampering prompted the Pakistan team to refuse to take the field after tea on the fourth day and England were declared victors – the result was changed to a draw in 2008 before being reversed again to an England win in 2009.Doctrove was also Dominica’s first FIFA referee and between 1995 and 1997 he officiated in a number of internationals in the Caribbean, including a World Cup qualifier between Guyana and Grenada in 1996. He quit football in 1997.Vince van der Bijl, the ICC umpires and referees manager, said: “Billy has been an excellent servant of the game and we thank him on behalf of the entire cricket fraternity for his outstanding contribution as an international umpire for 14 years.”To have remained as one of the game’s top officials for that length of time has required Billy to be self-motivated, confident and well respected.”Billy is a very special man, with strong values, firm beliefs yet with an underlying gentleness and humour, and a great family man – a wonderful blend.”

PM Rungta, a former BCCI president and head of the Rajasthan Cricket Association, has died at the age of 84 at his residence in Mumbai

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jul-2012PM Rungta, a former BCCI president and head of the Rajasthan Cricket Association, has died at the age of 84 at his residence in Mumbai. Rungta had been ill for a while and had been recently operated on. He had served as BCCI president from 1972-73 to 1974-75.”Mr. Rungta was an individual who lived and breathed cricket,” N Srinivasan, the BCCI president, said. “He served the BCCI with distinction as its president, and was an invaluable guide in later years. He will always be missed.”Rungta, who was nickname was “Bhaiji” (big brother), was “crazy for cricket”, according to former India captain Ajit Wadekar, whose career overlapped with Rungta’s time as board president. Wadekar said Rungta was very accessible to the players while he was playing. “We could approach him directly and not have to go through the proper channels,” Wadekar said. “He would take decisions on his own.”Back then the board was not the financial powerhouse it is now, and the players often had to rely on the largesse of individual board members for uniforms and equipment. “He [Rungta] used to spend from his own pocket quite a lot – clothing and other things like caps and ties,” Wadekar said. Rungta also used to host a farewell party for the players at his house in Mumbai before every overseas tour.Rungta was also on the BCCI’s disciplinary committee that banned six players, including Dilip Vengsarkar, Kapil Dev and Ravi Shastri, for a year for playing friendly matches in the United States and Canada after a poor tour of the West Indies in 1989. That decision led to the players challenging the board in court for the first time, a battle they ultimately won. After facing criticism from all quarters, including the Supreme Court, the board relented and withdrew the ban.Rungta’s brother, Kishan, is a former first-class cricketer and chairman of the national selection panel, while his son Kishore is a former treasurer of the BCCI.

AB de Villiers insisted that bigger challenges lie ahead after South Africa became the first side to be rated No.1 in all three formats of international cricket

George Dobell28-Aug-2012AB de Villiers insisted that bigger challenges lie ahead after South Africa became the first side to be rated No.1 in all three formats of international cricket.South Africa’s 80-run victory in Southampton saw them replace England at the top of the ODI rankings, with England slipping to third place behind India. South Africa were already rated the No.1 Test and T20 side, having usurped England as the top ranked Test team little more than a week ago following the 2-0 series victory sealed at Lord’s.De Villiers, South Africa’s limited-overs captain, said the team were proud of the achievement but suggested that they will be judged by more tangible success. Their main aims, he said, were the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand and the 2013 Champions Trophy in England.”The No.1 thing is a bit of a bonus,” de Villiers said. “We’re happy about it, but it’s not a main goal or a main concern at the moment.”I’m obviously very proud of it. It’s a great achievement. Becoming No.1 was probably one of the goals of our Test team, as we have had a very settled team for the last few years. But the ODI and T20 sides contain a lot of new faces and a new captain. There are a lot of things still to achieve. We certainly weren’t working towards getting No.1 in ODIs in this series.”We want to play good ODI cricket, get a settled team and that’s what we’re working towards. It’s not something that is one of our main goals. We’re looking way ahead in the future: we have a World Cup in 2015 and the Champions Trophy in 2013 coming up.”De Villiers also provided a frank assessment of a well under par England’s performance. “I won’t say they’re rattled but they didn’t play their best cricket,” he said. “We expect a much better England side in the next ODI. One thing is for sure: they didn’t play at 100% today.”Key to South Africa’s success was Hashim Amla’s highest ODI score of 150. During the innings, Amla became the fastest man in the history of ODI cricket to reach 3,000 runs and will extend his lead at the top of the ICC ODI batting rankings.”It definitely felt like one of my better ODI innings,” he said. “What makes it special to me is that it was a difficult wicket and we won the game. “It’s a lot more challenging with two new white balls up-front and there was a period in the middle of the innings when the spinners were on, there was some turn and I had to tread carefully and build a partnership. It was definitely one of the innings I’ve most enjoyed.”With the first game of the five-match series, in Cardiff, abandoned due to rain, South Africa are now 1-0 up with three games to play. The next game will take place at The Oval on Friday.

Derbyshire’s seam attack again delivered to keep the Division Two leaders on track for promotion before Kent’s tail fought back on the opening day at Derby.

02-Aug-2012
ScorecardTim Groenewald took three early wickets•Getty Images

Derbyshire’s seam attack again delivered to keep the Division Two leaders on track for promotion before Kent’s tail fought back on the opening day at Derby. Tim Groenewald claimed 3 for 41 in 19 overs while Tony Palladino and Mark Turner struck twice as Kent fell to to 238 for 8 after they had been put in on a green pitch.Sam Northeast made his fifth consecutive half-century and Michael Powell scored 45 but too many Kent batsmen got themselves out before an unbroken ninth wicket stand of 64 between Matt Coles, 51 not out, and Mark Davies earned the visitors a batting point.Rain wiped 26 overs from the day’s allocation although the skies were clear when Derbyshire won the toss and gave their bowlers first use of a pitch that had pace and bounce. Kent began well and reached 37 before skipper Rob Key aimed a firm-footed waft at Palladino and was caught at first slip. Northeast continued his recent prolific run by hitting nine fours in his fifty but Ben Harmison again struggled and made only five in 11 overs before he edged Turner to third slip.Northeast was dismissed in the next over when Jon Clare produced a good delivery that knocked back the opener’s off-stump and although Brendan Nash was put down on 13, he made only two more before a loose drive at Palladino was taken at gully to make it Derbyshire’s morning.Powell and Darren Stevens were starting to rebuild the innings until Stevens was bowled trying to drive Groenewald and although rain held up play for 50 minutes, Kent quickly lost their sixth wicket when the game resumed.Geraint Jones carved Groenewald to point just before another rain break which kept the players off the field until 4.45pm but Derbyshire quickly made another breakthrough when Groenewald beat James Tredwell with one that moved late to clip the top of off-stump. When Powell lost concentration and was caught behind driving wildly at Turner, Kent were 174 for 8 but Coles and Davies dug in to take their side past 200.Coles greeted the left-arm spin of David Wainwright by pulling him over midwicket for six and he gave the same treatment to Turner for another maximum before a cut brought him his fifth four and a deserved half-century off 74 balls.With Davies, he played out the last 16 overs of an extended day to put Kent back in the game and keep Derbyshire waiting for a third bowling point.

Chris Read’s battling knock hauled Notts over 200 on the second day at The Oval

Jarrod Kimber at The Oval05-Sep-2012
ScorecardChris Read almost single-handedly kept Notts in the match•PA Photos

Chris Read’s an eager well-meaning pixie from a fairytale. He always looks like he cares. In an office, he’d be the guy that said, “That’s funny, but we’ve got a lot of work to do”. If he dated your sister, you’d think he was a nice guy, but until he came over to re-grout your bathroom, you’d never truly value him. He probably does his own taxes, and tips his paperboy. He’s that guy.At The Oval on day one, Read was solid with the gloves, kept the spirits of his bowlers up, made sure runs never flowed and kept Surrey to a score that was easily reachable. On day two, he did everything he could with the bat to keep his side in the match. It wasn’t really about runs, the Notts batsmen all scored at a quicker rate than Surrey had, it’s just that none of them stayed in.Read did. He was a one man Gary Wilson and Zander de Bruyn partnership.This pitch, still sludge-like in nature and with occasional low bounce, is not hard to bat on when the afternoon sun hits it with the old ball being used. Yet only Read, and briefly youngster Sam Wood, looked like they wanted to handle it.Throughout this match Read has played like a captain who refuses to believe they can’t win the Championship. A belief he has had that doesn’t seem as evident on some of the other Notts player’s faces. It’s probably not surprising that Sam Wood, playing in his first full County game, was the other player. Wood was brought as another bowling option on the spin friendly Oval wicket but instead continued his good form that smashed a hundred for the England Under 19 side. At only 19, and with skills with bat and ball, Wood is a very impressive prospect.On the other side, Surrey have looked a bit more desperate, as you would be if you’re that close to County Cricket’s Tatooine, division two. Stuart Meaker was fast, really fast. His ball to Adam Voges would have electrified a crowd at an international match. Voges was beaten by pace, swing and skill. Meaker was putting on a clinic for a while, swinging the ball both ways at pace, but as the new ball faded so did he. At the other end Tim Linley is hardly going to produce the same excitement, but he ended with 5 for 62 through patience, skill and subtle variation. They were the honest, humble and hardworking wickets of a consistent county seamer. They’ll be forgotten by anyone who saw Meaker’s wicket of Voges.Kartik was the pick of the bowlers. Using a new technique, for him, of attacking primarily at the striker’s end, he flighted the ball beautifully, mixed up his pace like a master, spun the ball hard and even occasionally got some brutal bounce. It seemed for most of the afternoon the only way to score off him was accidentally. None of his wickets came from unplayable deliveries; they came from the cloud of doom he floated above the batsman’s eyes. Kartik’s miserly bowling allowed Surrey to just keep chipping away at the largely lifeless Notts line up who ended up on 227, 42 behind Surrey.Even though they faltered with the bat, it was perhaps with the ball in the morning that Notts looked their most anodyne. They allowed the newly capped Meaker and tailender Linley to score another batting point and add 38 runs – the third biggest partnership of the match. It was only ended when a Harry Gurney delivery kept a bit low. Read was trying to fire up his troops, but it was clear all day they weren’t quite right.After trudging off with his fighting 85 not out, Read was given a respectful clap by the Oval faithful. Read rarely entertained, except in the last over, but it was definitely a strong show of character. If you walked into the Oval today, not knowing the back-story of these two teams, it is Surrey you’d think were the team that got close to the title, and Notts the team that would be getting relegated if not for the strong mindedness and guts of their captain.Surrey are leading this match, Chris Read is leading Nottinghamshire.

Matthew Wade knows his immediate fate in the baggy green could be in his own hands as the selectors

Brydon Coverdale17-Oct-2012Matthew Wade knows his immediate fate in the baggy green could be in his own hands as the selectors prepare to choose between him and Brad Haddin for the first Test against South Africa. Australia’s captain Michael Clarke and national selector John Inverarity have both said in the past few days that the Haddin-Wade decision has not yet been made, which gives both men extra motivation to perform over the next fortnight.The problem for Haddin is that he is in South Africa at the Champions League T20 and should the Sydney Sixers go all the way in the tournament, he won’t have any more Sheffield Shield opportunities to press his case before the decision is made. Although Haddin, who turns 35 next week, made a terrific 114 in his most recent Shield match last month, the selectors will need to weigh up his experience against the youth and talent of Wade.Wade was given a chance in Test cricket in the West Indies in April, when Haddin pulled out of the tour after his daughter Mia was diagnosed with cancer, and impressed with a century in his third Test. He began this season with 89 in his only Shield match so far and another big innings against Tasmania at the MCG next week could be enough to sway things his way ahead of a battle with the No.1 Test team in the world.”I feel comfortable within the Australian setup now, I understand what they’re all about and what we’re trying to do,” Wade told ESPNcricinfo. “I feel really comfortable around the team but that doesn’t guarantee you selection. It’s all about performance from here on in. I’ve got two more Shield games before the Tests and if I can perform in them, hopefully I’ll get picked.”I can only do what I can control. It was nice to come home early and play at the Gabba and get some runs there. I feel like I’m doing everything I can, I’m playing to the best of my ability. If that’s not good enough, that’s not good enough. I can only get told on the day whether I’m in or out.”Wade, 24, has racked up three Tests, 25 ODIs and 15 Twenty20 internationals since making his debut just over a year ago, and has gone from strength to strength. Inverarity has been impressed not only with Wade’s work for Australia but was also happy with what he saw against Queensland at the Gabba last week, when Wade came in with Victoria wobbling at 4 for 39 and rescued the innings in very trying conditions.”It shows what a very good batsman Matthew Wade is,” Inverarity said. “That innings, in the context of that game was the match-winner. They bowled very well in helpful conditions and that 89 was a very significant batting performance.”If you go back to February, he played for Australia, then he played on the wickets in the West Indies, then he went to England and played there, then the UAE, then Sri Lanka. The amount of experience he’s got into his experience in seven months is fantastic.”It hasn’t all been easy for Wade, as anyone who watched the one-day series in the Caribbean could attest. While his glovework was always sound, he found it especially difficult batting against the spin of Sunil Narine, but the way he worked through that trouble and emerged with a Test century in Dominica, having come to the crease at 5 for 157, pleased the coach Mickey Arthur.”We saw Wadey in the West Indies really battle with the turning ball, he hadn’t played in conditions like that before, he didn’t have a game-plan, he didn’t know how to score, he didn’t know where to score off Sunil Narine,” Arthur said. “But he worked it out and at the end of the series he got a really good hundred.”We saw a little bit of that in England, a little bit of that in Sri Lanka, he worked immensely hard through the T20 on his batting, his first-class batting. He learns very quickly. He’s like a little kid, he comes and he fights it and he moans and whinges and gets frustrated, but he works hard, learns quick and hopefully he gets the rewards. He’s got a good edge to him.”Arthur and Inverarity are both on the selection panel that will make the decision by the end of this month, as is Clarke, who said this week that Wade was “an amazing talent” who “is going to be a big player for Australian cricket over a long period of time”. Whether that period encompasses the South African series remains to be seen, but Wade would love the chance to tackle Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel.”There’s no tougher Test cricket than what that will be against South Africa,” Wade said. “As cricketers all we want to do is test ourselves against the best players in the world. Their bowlers are the best in the world at times. It’s going to be hard work all summer against those guys and then a pretty good team in Sri Lanka coming over as well.”It’s definitely a bigger jump up in intensity [to Test cricket] and you always get that one bowler that troubles you. The pressure is a little bit different. I think a home series is probably going to be even tougher, everyone is watching, but it would be fantastic to play in.”

Dean Elgar, the Knights batsman, has been named as the replacement for the injured JP Duminy for the rest of South Africa’s Test series in Australia

Firdose Moonda11-Nov-2012Dean Elgar, the Knights’ left-hander who has played five ODIs for South Africa, has been called up to replace JP Duminy in the Test squad. Duminy was ruled out of cricket for six months with a ruptured Achilles’ tendon and while Faf du Plessis remains the favourite to take his place in the starting XI, Elgar has been called a “like-for-like replacement.”Although a top-order batsman rather than a lower middle-order one, Elgar also bowls left-arm spin and could be seen to offer the same part-time bowling option as Duminy. Du Plessis, though, bowls legspin and is regarded as next in line, given his inclusion as replacement batsman over the last two tours.Elgar, a former South Africa Under-19 captain, made his case for a place in the national squad soon after debuting in first-class cricket. In 2006-07, he averaged 55.06 and scored 881 runs in the first-class competition. But two lean patches followed and he only really caught the eye again two seasons later. Elgar’s 2009-10 summer resulted in 1193 runs at an average of 62.78 and 2010-11 one saw him score 816 runs at 54.49.With a reputation for being able to play all around the wicket, a strong square cut and proven form, he was named captain of South Africa’s Invitation side to play Sri Lanka in December last year. Elgar top scored with 78. Although always seen as a longer format player, he was named in the squad to play in the ODIs against them later in the tour. He tore knee ligaments on the eve of the series and was ruled out of most of the remainder of the season but continued to feature in South Africa’s plans.Elgar played in the A series against Sri Lanka A in June, where he scored 177 in South Africa’s innings victory. He also travelled to Ireland in August to shadow the men’s senior side in England and made his debut in the ODIs. Although he did not score a single half-century, scores of 15, 42, 35 and 1 were enough to have national convenor of selector Andrew Hudson labelling it a “good debut series.”Elgar will only travel to Australia once his visa requirements have been processed but with the second Test 11 days away that is not a worry. He will play for the Knights in their domestic one-day cup match on Sunday.While Elgar will celebrate his maiden call-up to the Test squad, some of the other players in contention may be aggrieved at being overlooked, especially as there are lower-order players who could be in line. Justin Ontong is the closest as an exact replacement for Duminy. He was the top-scoring middle-order batsman last season. In nine matches, he scored 658 runs at an average of 59.81, with two hundreds and four fifties.Ashwell Prince may not have fancied sitting on the bench but would have been keen on a recall. Since he was dropped after the Boxing Day Test against Sri Lanka in Durban last December, he has done well for Lancashire and started this season with 213 runs in three matches for the Warriors. He remains a nationally contracted player and Hudson said at the time of Prince’s exit that he would remain in their thoughts.Colin Ingram was another candidate. He fell out of favour after the ODI series against Sri Lanka in January but has been churning out the runs at franchise level. His 270 runs in three matches this season have come at an average of 54.00.None of that has any bearing on the current Test squad, with Elgar due to arrive in Australia soon.

Peter Siddle believes the days of a fast bowler playing every Test of the home summer are not a thing of the past, despite the ongoing changes to Australia’s attack

Brydon Coverdale22-Dec-2012Peter Siddle believes the days of a fast bowler playing every Test of the home summer are not a thing of the past, despite the ongoing changes to Australia’s attack this season. Jackson Bird looks set to become the seventh fast bowler to wear the baggy green this summer, with reports that Mitchell Starc might be rested from the Boxing Day Test in an effort to manage his workload, and that would leave Siddle as the only fast man to hold his place after the Hobart victory.A side injury has ruled Ben Hilfenhaus out of the Melbourne Test and should the selectors decide to save Starc for the New Year’s Test in Sydney, it will mean Siddle, Bird and Mitchell Johnson will share the pace duties next week. Already this summer, Australia have used Siddle, Hilfenhaus, Starc, Johnson, James Pattinson and John Hastings over the course of four Tests, a far cry from the days when the same attack was used for every Test, as occurred during the 2006-07 Ashes series.Over the past 18 months, Ryan Harris, Pat Cummins and Trent Copeland have also moved in and out of the Test attack, along with the spinners Nathan Lyon and Michael Beer. Whether the changes have been due to form, injury or workload management, it has meant learning about team-mates and developing bowling partnerships on the run, and Siddle said the bowlers had become adept at working with whoever was on duty from Test to Test.”That’s been the big thing that we’ve done well in the past 18 months is that whoever has come into the squad knew what they had to do,” Siddle said. “The guys who have come in in that time have shown that they can execute their skills and work with the rest of the players in that squad to maintain that pressure. The squad has changed a lot with the bowlers but we’ve stuck together and worked well as a team and we can keep doing that. That’s a big positive.”Siddle pulled up well after bowling 51.3 overs at Bellerive Oval, better than he did after the Adelaide workload that forced him to sit out of the next Test against South Africa in Perth, and he is in no doubt for Boxing Day. There is less certainty over Starc, who sent down 52.2 overs in Hobart and according to some reports is set to be rested for either the Melbourne or Sydney Test due to his age and workload.Last summer, the Australians were told by their sports scientists that Pattinson would break down during the Sydney Test and they played him anyway, only to lose him to a foot injury mid-match. Siddle said while no bowlers wanted to sit out of any Test match, the key was to be open and honest with the team management about how their bodies were recovering, as Siddle was when he stayed on the sidelines at the WACA.”[Starc] has had a big workload but he has had time to rest now back at home, he’s got another three or four days until we have to be out there playing,” Siddle said. “Everyone wants to play. I don’t think anyone ever wants to rest. But there does come circumstances where personally you don’t feel right and you might need to, like myself in Perth. I wasn’t right so I didn’t play.”The last two summers here I played all 11 Test matches, so it can be done. The same thing would have happened this summer. I did not want to miss Perth but personally I made the right decision. I knew that if I had have been selfish and gone out there and got injured I would have put a lot of pressure on the rest of the side. After what we had in Adelaide I didn’t want to do that.”You get plenty of say. It’s your body. No one knows your body. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the physio, the doctor or the selector, they don’t know how you’re feeling. It’s about being honest with them. That’s the big part of it, being honest with them about how you are feeling and how well you think you can go.”Now Siddle is preparing for his fifth consecutive Boxing Day Test at his home ground, and he enters it in fine form, having collected 15 wickets at an average of 19.93 in his past two Tests this summer. His MCG record is also strong – 18 victims at 22.44 – and it’s something he shares with Bird, who in two first-class appearances at the venue has collected 5 for 35, 5 for 61 and 4 for 73.”It’s a very patient ground. Our game plan works beautifully here,” Siddle said of the MCG. “I’ve had my success a similar way to him [Bird], you bowl nagging lengths and be patient, you bowl tight lines. That’s the go-to here for us. Sometimes it hasn’t been about the big swing, it’s more about being patient and working the batsman over and setting the right fields … He’s a very similar type.”