CANBERRA: Australia’s bowlers are enjoying their best Twenty20 run in almost a decade with their full-strength attack strangling opposition sides out of matches.

With senior pacemen Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins at the helm, Australia’s bowlers have conceded less than 7.5 runs an over in the first four games of the summer.

Their performances against Sri Lanka and Pakistan mark the first time an Australian attack has done that in four straight games since way back in 2009-10.

It’s the first time Australia have run out anything close to their best attack in the format since way back in 2016.

“It’s nice to have Mitchell Starc running in with the new ball and then at the death with the spinners through the middle,” vice-captain Alex Carey said ahead pf Tuesday’s second Twenty20 International against Pakistan at the Manuka Oval. “Kane Richardson has been fantastic with the new ball and at the death again.

“And Pat Cummins, wherever you need him. It’s a really well-balanced squad at the moment.

“It’s nice to have a very role-specific side together. Players are feeling really confident in their roles and executing their roles.”

Richardson has especially come of age with his tight spells, going at less than a run a ball in three of the four matches.

He and Starc both claimed two wickets in Sunday’s rain-marred clash against Pakistan, and arrive in Canberra full of confidence for the second game of the three-match series against the tourists.

Meanwhile the Aussies also appear to have found their formula for next year’s World Cup on home soil, after going with two spinners for the T20s.

Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar have played in each match so far this summer, with selectors well aware spin has proven more effective than pace in Big Bash matches in recent years.

That preference for spin on the bigger Australian grounds is backed by the fact spinners conceded almost a run-an-over less than quicks in the country in Twenty20 Internationals.

“I think it’s important to have them as options especially when you have a left-arm and a leg-spinner,” captain Aaron Finch said. “The two spinners, all the stats suggest that runs per over off spinners are lower in this country than quicks.

“I think that’s based off ground size, how true the wickets are too.

“It’s not a non-negotiable but structuring up for these two series we’ve felt that it was our best five bowlers going forward.”

Teams (from):

AUSTRALIA: Aaron Finch (captain), David Warner, Steve Smith, Ben McDermott, Ashton Turner, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Kane Richardson, Billy Stanlake, Adam Zampa, Sean Abbott.

PAKISTAN: Babar Azam (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Asif Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Imad Wasim, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Irfan, Musa Khan, Shadab Khan, Usman Qadir, Imam-ul-Haq.

Umpires: Gerard Abood (Australia) and Shawn Craig (Australia).

TV umpire: Paul Wilson (Australia).

Match referee: Javagal Srinath (India).

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2019