BRISBANE: Another 300-plus run pitch was likely for the second One-day International against India here, Australia all-rounder James Faulkner said on Thursday.
The Australians comfortably ran down India’s 309 for three to win the opening ODI in Perth by five wickets on Tuesday and Faulkner said to expect the same flow of runs at the Gabba on Friday.
“Everyone was quite surprised by the way the wicket played in Perth, it was very flat and we saw a lot of runs scored,” Faulkner told reporters.
“I think any time you see 300 runs scored and chased it’s definitely a flat wicket.
“I’m expecting the same sort of scenario here as well, I haven’t seen a one-day wicket that hasn’t been flat here for a fair while, so it should have good pace, carry and be a good contest again.
“In general it’s a tough gig bowling in Perth and here.
“Runs can be scored so fast due to the pace on the ball. Everyone got hit the other day so I don’t think you can single out one or two bowlers.”
Indian opener Rohit Sharma scored an unbeaten 171 in his team’s innings in Perth, but Steve Smith and George Bailey both scored centuries to get Australia home on a lifeless WACA pitch in the ODI series opener.
“Every time you go onto the ground you try to entertain, I don’t think you specifically go out there and think ‘I want to put on a show’, it’s more worrying about what you can do to contribute to the team,” Faulkner said.
“The revolution in T20 cricket and how successful the Big Bash League has been this season with the crowd numbers that have attended and also on TV, it’s only going to get bigger.
“It’s an exciting time for cricket in general, you’re seeing a lot more high scores in the one-day format as well. That’s entertaining enough.”
Rohit Sharma said there were no safe scores in ODI cricket in the modern era.
“When you bat first you actually don’t know what is a defendable score. You get 340 and again it is not a safe score anymore,” Sharma told reporters.
“When we were batting in the middle (in Perth) the idea was to capitalise and bat as long as possible, considering we have got a couple of newcomers in the middle order.
“The top three batsmen — myself, Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan — it is a big responsibility to bat as long as possible.
“So I think 309 was a pretty good score on that track but as Australia batted really well and if you don’t take wickets in the middle of the innings it is always going to be difficult especially here in Australia,” he added.
Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2016
