James Pattinson continued to grow in stature as the new spearhead of Australia’s pace attack with another haul of prized Indian wickets including Sachin Tendulkar in the second Sydney Test on Tuesday. The 21-year-old paceman, playing in only his fourth Test match, snared the wickets of Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, V.V.S. Laxman and Gautam Gambhir to finish with four for 43 off 14 overs. “Getting Sachin out today is something I will remember for the rest of my life. It’s an amazing feeling,” Pattinson said. “Obviously it was quite unlucky today for him, chopping one on. It was quite a wide delivery. “If you can build enough pressure on him then something like that can happen.
“He plays so well, he’s got so much time when you bowl to him … even if you bowl a good ball the defensive shots look so good and it’s hard to get past him.” It has been a fast-tracked Test career for the speedster, who has already claimed two man-of-the-match awards in three Tests and is well on the way to another one.
Pattinson took four wickets and scored an unbeaten 37 on the decisive fourth day of last week’s Melbourne Test and was influential in Australia polishing off a 122-run victory in the first of four Tests against the second-ranked Indians. “I just concentrate on bowling line and length,” he said. “One of the greatest fast bowlers, Glenn McGrath, had a good talk to me the other day and he said that’s all you have to worry about, the pace will take care of itself.
“It’s pretty good advice from him and something I’ll definitely listen to.”
Pattinson triggered the tourists’ slide on Tuesday when he had opener Gambhir out off the third ball of the Test, nudging an outswinger to first slip Michael Clarke for a duck to continue his poor series. Sehwag was his second wicket, enticing the uninhibited opener to nick to wicketkeeer Brad Haddin for 30 in the 19th over. Pattinson, bowling with beautiful shape, tempted Laxman to drive, only to edge to Shaun Marsh at third slip for two. It was a rare batting failure for Laxman at the SCG, which statistically is his most productive scoring venue outside of India with three hundreds and an average of 96.20 coming into this Test.
