India’s pacer Shanthakumaran Sreesanth says his stint with Warwickshire coach Allan Donald helped him exploit English conditions on the first day of the second cricket Test at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground here.
Sreesanth, playing a Test match after a gap of six months, swung the ball and pitched it in right areas in overcast conditions. He was rewarded with three crucial wickets that played a part in restricting England to 221 in the first innings.
Sreesanth thanked the South African great.
“Those four months with Warwickshire taught me a lot. I spent a lot of time with Allan Donald who told me to add a few variations in my bowling style. Until then, I only used to bowl outswingers but Allan taught me on how to bring the ball in. A few more things like where to bowl, how to bowl, observe the stance of a batsman,” said Sreesanth.
Sreesanth removed Jonathan Trott in the morning session with an outswinger in his very first over and later sent Kevin Pietersen and Matt Prior back in the hut in the second session when the hosts lost six wickets.
The Kerala pacer said he enjoyed the wicket of Pietersen, who scored a double century at Lord’s.
“Pietersen is not really comfortable against bouncers. It was part of our plan to bowl him short. I first tried slower and then faster bouncers but he hit them for four.”
“But was nice to get him out eventually, I had the last laugh at the end of the day,” Sreesanth said.
Sreesanth reckoned that the pitch will continue to assist fast bowlers.
“It is a good sporting wicket. It surely is swinging but the credit has to go to bowlers. If you bowl badly, the batsmen will punish you.”
