Melbourne, July 14 (Inditop.com) Australian captain Ricky Ponting insists pace bowler Peter Siddle will be even more threatening at Lord’s in the second cricket Test against England starting Thursday.
A fired-up Siddle bowled his heart out in drawn first Test in Cardiff and struck scared tailender Graeme Swann on the body three times in four balls in a pace onslaught.
Ponting backed Siddle’s aggressive intent and has tipped the young tyro to trouble English batsmen on a bouncy Lord’s pitch.
“I love everything about Peter Siddle … charging in and continuing to charge in until you tell him to stop,” Ponting was quoted as saying in The Australian Monday.
“There’s nothing less than 100 per cent effort from him every time he’s got the ball in his hand, and that’s what I love about him.”
“With his style of bowling, there wasn’t obviously much in the (Cardiff) track from him. He will bowl a lot better at Lord’s,” Ponting said.
Siddle took only three wickets in the first Test but he deserved many more as he made all the England batsmen hop and jump around the crease.
Ponting, however, concedes struggling spearhead Mitchell Johnson needs to lift.
Johnson’s form is becoming a worry as Australia’s pace spearhead could not make a mark on the final day in Cardiff.
“I’ve seen him bowl better than he did in Cardiff,” Ponting said.
“He was trying to swing the ball and he probably bowled a lot more slower balls than he normally does.”
Veteran quick Stuart Clark is almost certain to be left on the sidelines again at Lord’s, with Australia likely to keep faith with its line-up.
Spinner Nathan Hauritz has done enough to keep his place with six wickets at Cardiff while Ben Hilfenhaus was the best of the quicks for most of the Test.
Brett Lee has been ruled out of the second Test due to a rib muscle injury.
rounak