Spin on the Ashes.

[Ernest]

Well the run up to the Ashes has started in Earnest.

Ricky Ponting says Australia are going to target Panesar here .

Originally Posted by BBC

Australia's batsmen will target rising England star Monty Panesar during the upcoming winter Ashes series.

Really it's all spin again, Australia must know that they have to negate the pace of Flintoff and Harmison if they are to stand any chance of taking back the Ashes.

Originally Posted by Ponting

Spin star Panesar, who has taken 16 wickets in three Tests against Pakistan this summer, has impressed Aussie captain Ricky Ponting.

But Ponting said: "We'll try to make some sort of impact on him early on, and we won't let him get on top.

Good try at getting Panesar down long before he puts a foot on Australia soil, but also one of Panesars strong points is that he does not flap under pressure.

And if Ponting is so impressed by Panesar, then Australia could have problems also at Sydney.

Also if Panesar live up to Ponting fears, and Flintoff returns fit - then I think at this stage England just have the edge.

Anyone that does not agree?.

[Quagmire]

He will be dangerous in Sydney but i can't see him doing too much anywhere else. He will get a bit of bounce in Perth but thats about it. The big factor will be Flintoff if fully fit.

[Beny]

Question for me is how well Flintoff and Harmison will go without swing... Flintoff played very poorly in the super-series, I know it was'nt a good indicator, but it is a batsmen's wicket generaly.

Perth should be great viewing... Three of the world's best fast bowlers and of-course the mastery of McGrath (who took 7 wickets against Pakistan last time he played there).

[Victor Frankenstein]

Is this really spin? or is it just a journalist asking Ponting a question and him giving a stock answer? what did you expect him to say? "Yes, we can see monty's a good bowler so we won't even try scoring against him, we'll let him dominate and hopefully he'll bowl us out and we'll lose the ashes, we suck!".

Can't help feeling that english people read far too much into what the aussies say about a series, i'm sure if they asked pietersen about shane warne he would say i'm going to try and play as positively as i can and hit him out of the attack.

[flanflinger]

Have to agree with Vic, think it is just a standard answer to a very predictable question.

As it is, as well as Giles played on the last Ashes series, if Monty plays he will add a huge amount to the attack, and could cause a suprise. The Aussies mentally have been preparing for four pace bowlers and an average spinner to break up the spells. But now they have a new factor, an attacking finger-spin bowler.

Australia have demonstrated that they have a weakness against pace and bounce (Ashes) and high quality finger spin (India 2001) . The fact that England may have both options, will cause different problems from what the Aussies were expecting.

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

But as Quagmire points out, surely theres only going to be sydney where it will take any sort of finger spin, and the aussies arent going to do an england and prepere wickets that will help the opposition and not the home side !

[Lemming]

Panesar seems to give the ball a bit of spin though. Look at his performance at Headingley (tipped before the match to be the ground, as usual, for the Hoggards and Lewises of this world) - six wickets out of the eight going to English spinners in ten years have fallen to Panesar in one match (thanks to Mongoose for this statistic via the medium of the telephone).

Panesar gives the ball such a rip that turn and bounce could happen anywhere and hence wickets. Obviously some surfaces are going to be better for him but he is looks to be a great spin option on all surfaces.

[flanflinger]

Originally Posted by Richie Benauds Love Child

and the aussies arent going to do an england and prepere wickets that will help the opposition and not the home side !

The problem is that the Aussies are expecting four tall fast bowlers, so they will not be looking to give them a pitch that will suit that, if they look to create pitches that will assist their chief assett, Warne, then suddenly Panesar comes into the equation.

[DaveGillespie]

Only Warne's preferred type of pitch is a bouncy one, not a bog standard slow turner.

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

Thats what Ithought. I was alway under the impression that finger and wrist spin needed different sorts of wickets.

Thanks Dave !