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Friday, 05 December 2008

Clark: Onus on quicks to perform

5/09/2008 6:29:00 PM.  | AAP

Stuart Clark admits the onus will be on he and his fellow quicks to strike early against India next month if Australia are to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Australia's bowling attack in the highly-anticipated series will be short on experience in Indian conditions, as Clark, Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson have never played a Test there, while the spinner's position is yet to be determined.

But Clark was hopeful the attack could replicate the 2004 heroics of Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz, whose brilliant fast bowling in tough conditions secured Australia a landmark series win on the subcontinent.

Clark said the pacemen would need to draw on both that series and their own previous performances in India, however limited, to succeed against India's strong batting line-up.

Lee has played 12 one-day internationals in India and took part in this year's Indian Premier League tournament, while Johnson has played seven one-dayers there and Clark only three.

"We'll look at some sort of footage and draw on the experiences of the guys who did play there in 2004," Clark said.

"We're going a little bit early now, and have to make our own adjustments to conditions that aren't like Australia.

"They're more spin-friendly and probably don't carry and bounce like we're used to."

The uncertainty over who Australia's main spinner will be in a squad to be announced next week also adds another potential concern.

Wrist spinners Bryce McGain and Beau Casson are both in India with Australia A, but suffered injuries on day one of the tour match against India A in Bangalore, which will conclude today.

McGain took 3-51 on day one but suffered a shoulder strain in his bowling arm, while Casson strained his adductor muscle in the outfield, which limited him to one over.

The injuries, on top of the likely absence of Andrew Symonds, who is considering his future, means part-time spinner Michael Clarke might have to do more bowling than he expected to.

Clark said Shane Warne's absence still left a big hole in Australian cricket, and that the pacemen had to shoulder the load of bowling plenty and landing the big strikes.

"Fast bowlers do all the work, don't they?" he said.

"We've got to get early wickets no matter where we play and India's especially like that, given they've got a very strong batting line-up.

"It's part of our job and we're all fully aware of it and really excited about it."

The benefit of in-form spinners in India was highlighted in the current tour match, as the combined seven wickets taken by fringe Indian turners Mohnish Parmar and Piyush Chawla helped rout Australia A for 116.

The visitors were made to follow-on, but Australia A captain Simon Katich - also desperate to impress on this tour - at least gleaned something, with 56 in the second innings.

Australia's players have used their time in Darwin, where tomorrow they should complete a 3-0 cleansweep of Bangladesh in the one-day series, to train heavily in preparation for India.

Clark said the Darwin humidity had made training tough, but it would be vital in helping the players acclimatise to India.

He also dismissed claims Symonds' likely absence would limit any tension between the two sides following last summer's emotion-charged series, and last year's one-day series in India, where the Queenslander was mocked by fans.

"That feeling stuff, I've said all along it's a media thing," Clark said.

"The sides get on well, off the field especially.

"There'll be a little bit of competitiveness which I hope is in any game of cricket or any sporting match between two countries."

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