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Australia bowling coach Craig McDermott has boasted that the newly-crowned Ashes winners have the most dangerous attack in world cricket as they focus on a fourth straight Test victory against demoralised England. |
Pacemen Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle. supplemented by spinner Nathan Lyon, have dominated England’s troubled batsmen, enabling the home side to race to an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.
Former Test quick McDermott said yesterday he expects no changes to the Australia team for the fourth Test starting in Melbourne on Thursday.
“They’ve all performed as a unit fantastically well,” McDermott said. “We have the best attack in the world at the moment.”
He said the bowlers were nursing aches and pains but it was nothing serious.
Harris is having treatment on a sore knee, but McDermott said he was confident he will be ready for Melbourne.
“I wouldn’t say there’s any doubt, he’s (Harris) just sore,” he said.
In contrast, the unsettled tourists, who are trying to avoid the indignity of a 5-0 whitewash, suffered a fresh blow on Sunday when star off-spinner Graeme Swann announced his shock retirement.
“That’s their problem, I suppose (Swann retiring). I’m more concerned about how our bowlers are preparing come Boxing Day,” McDermott said.
Australian spinner Lyon said he admired Swann as a fellow off-spinner and had no doubt his absence would give Australia a boost for the remaining two Tests of the series.
“It’s going to be a positive for Australia, but we still have to come out and pay respect to everyone that goes out there,” Lyon said. “I was shocked. He’s someone I’ve looked up (to). He’s probably been the backbone of England’s attack for a while.
“I regard him as one of the best off-spinners I’ve seen... I’ve certainly learnt a few things just off watching him and talking to him. He’s been fantastic for England and for cricket, full stop.”
Paceman Siddle said the credit for the 3-0 scoreline should be given to his team rather than criticising their struggling opponents.
“In England it was a 3-0 scoreline but it wasn’t as comprehensive. Compare that 3-0 to this 3-0, it’s a total difference,” Siddle told reporters. “A lot of credit has to go to the way we played — we’ve been ruthless. We haven’t given them anything to jump on the back of. That’s what’s causing the problems.”
Siddle too felt that the current Australian attack was up there with the best in the world and the team’s success was down to their consistency with both bat and ball.
“We are up there, aren’t we?” Siddle asked. “We are winning Test matches, bowling teams out. But it’s on the back of the batters... it does make it a lot easier for the bowling unit as well. Just the combination at the moment... we are just playing good positive cricket and being consistent at it.”
England have failed to cross the 200-run mark in three out of their six innings during the series and Siddle believed that the current Australia attack was the best he has been part of.
“We’ve been striving for a long time as a bowling unit to get that consistency right,” Siddle said. “This series has shown that we’ve been able to bowl teams out quite quickly, give our batters a big chance and be able to put a lot of pressure on the opposition.
“We are bowling well. I think we all are performing well and playing our role. With the ball, I think this is the best line-up I have ever played in.”