McGrath confident of Lee’s success

Sydney: Australia’s injured fast bowler Glenn McGrath feels tearaway pacer Brett Lee would be the key to hosts’ series-levelling win in the third Test in Melbourne starting Boxing Day.

McGrath, who has been ruled out for the entire Test series with ankle problems, said Lee has had the measure of the Indian batsmen in the past and could do it again.

“Brett (Lee) made his debut against India (in 1999) ... Hopefully he can go back to the form he showed there,” McGrath told the Daily Telegraph.

“He really got stuck into them early on and I think the extra pace and extra bounce the Melbourne wicket offers will play a part for Australia,” he added.

McGrath, Australia’s only fast bowler with more than 400 Test wickets, said ‘cutting off’ India’s scoring options was crucial to their success.

“I think in the first innings (in the second Test in Adelaide) India did score quite quickly.

“That’s not to say we didn’t bowl well — you’ve got to give credit to India, they’re a pretty awesome batting line-up.

“I’d say just get back to the basics, try to build up a bit of pressure and try to cut the scoring options off India because they’re a side that love to score quickly,” the fast bowler nicknamed Pigeon said.

“I’ve always said Australia is a team that plays well under pressure. Obviously we’ll have to lift another gear and I think we’re capable of doing it.

“We’ve shown in the past when the pressure is on us, we always come through.”

(PTI)