The great strength of any Australian side is the multitude of Fantastico all-rounders, that they have, on which the captain can rely in difficult times both while batting or when the regular bowlers are getting a tap. They possess men who can grab the game by the scruff of the neck even if the top order has been dismantled and they have the ability to pull the run rate back after the regular opening bowlers have failed to bowl incisive spells. Let us look at the impact the Australian All-Rounders are likely to create in the upcoming ICC WT20 2016 in India.
Shane Watson
Watson has been Australia's Sherlock in the shorter form of the game since the past decade solving their problems with ease given his enormous ability to either score runs or take the much needed wicket. He smashed an unbeaten 124* in just 71 balls against India at Sydney albeit in a losing cause and regularly provided top order wickets in that series as well. He is continuing that form in the PSL for Islamabad where he has been striking the ball sweetly.
Watson had been one of the most consistent players in the IPL and has opted both the highest run charts and top wicket takers charts for the Rajasthan Royals franchise. He was the highest paid cricketer in this years IPL auction as the Royal Challengers Bangalore picked him for a whopping 9.5 Crores to lend them his expertise.
Australia have a terrific option in Watson who can fill in with the ball in the middle overs with his splendid variations and can also replace Aaron Finch at the top of the order if he does not recover in time from his hamstring injury. He is a real asset to any team and a real impact player in T20 format of the game.
Impact Rating – 8.5/10
James Faulkner
James Faulkner is the perfect finisher that Australia was looking for since the retirement of Michael Hussey. Faulkner is cool and collected at the crease and soaks up the pressure like a sponge. He can wield the long handle and knows exactly when to launch an attack and which bowler to target. He has, in his young career, already finished many a game for this Australian side in the shorter versions of the game from almost hopeless situations.
He has a whippy action and can move the ball both ways and also possesses a couple of slower ball versions which are very useful in deceiving the batsmen in the shorter formats of the game. He is currently recuperating from a hamstring injury but it is expected that he will get fit in time for the mega event. He, like Watson, is a high impact player and can change the course of any match within a space of a few overs.
Impact Rating – 8/10
These two all-rounders are central to Australia’s WT20 plans and will play a significant role in their campaign. They can annihilate any opposition single-handedly and win games in the blink of an eye.
This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.
No comments:
Post a Comment