Melbourne, Dec 29 (IANS) Australia’s young fast bowler James Pattinson Thursday said the Boxing Day Test against India was like a dream come true for him.
Pattinson, who was adjudged as the Man of the Match with a match haul of six for 108, said it was unbelievable to get a chance to bowl against batting great Sachin Tendulkar.
‘For me it’s a dream come true to play cricket for Australia. To be out there on Boxing Day and against India, with the batting line-up … I know Sachin … I wasn’t even born when he started playing cricket. To go out there and bowl against him and have some success against their batsmen is just unbelievable. To get a win is even better,’ said the local boy.
Pattinson said that bowling three bouncers in an over, following which he was warned by the umpire, was not intentional.
‘(It was) not really a conscious effort, it’s just the way I play cricket It’s the way I’ve been brought up. I like to attack, I like to go out there and do my own stuff. It’s not a conscious effort; it’s just the way I play,’ he said.
Pattinson also came up with crucial cameos lower down the order with the bat. In the first innings, he finished unbeaten on 18 and in the second he was unbeaten on 37.
‘Nowadays the way cricket is going, you need to be able to bat towards the end. You’ve seen so many valuable partnerships from the last two in many games of cricket. It’s something that I’ve put a big emphasis on in the nets.
‘It does help. It does put the game back in our favour and the opening batsmen didn’t want to be stuck out there too much longer, which they were. So it was big for us and it’s just good that I can help out with the bat,’ he said.
