December 29, 2007	Saturday	Zilhaj 18, 1428

MELBOURNE, Dec 28: Australian bowler Stuart Clark said his team’s thorough preparation for the series against India bore fruit with surgical precision in the opening cricket Test, a report said on Friday.

The Indian batting lineup had promised much heading into the four-Test series, but delivered little in their first showdown with the Australian bowling attack.

Clark revealed a forensic examination of the Indian batsmen had contributed to their downfall. For the past few seasons, the Australians, heading for a 15th consecutive Test victory, have had access to video and statistical data to assist in their demolition of opposition teams.

The specifically-tailored video packages are designed to uncover batsmen’s idiosyncrasies, tendencies and deficiencies.

Clark and the rest of the Australian bowlers were well versed in where and how to bowl to the Indians after months of digesting all the information.

“We can get pretty much anything we want: each batsman’s scoring shots, strengths and weaknesses,” Clark told Friday’s The Sydney Morning Herald.

“We can even get things like the way they bat leading into dismissals, and how they are when they first come to the crease. It’s as much a part of preparing for a Test as training and practice,” Clark said.—AFP