Weatherald admits to having made a "few tinkerings" to his game after underwhelming Ashes series
Darwin, August 10
Australian opener Jake Weatherald, who is set to play his first-ever home Test at Darwin, said that he has made a "few tinkerings" to his game after an underwhelming home Ashes earlier this year and is looking forward to showing it in front of his home crowd.
Travis Head is set to resume duties atop the order for Australia alongside Weatherald, who will have an added incentive during the series opener, with the 31-year-old, born and raised in Darwin, set to play his first-ever home Test, starting from August 13.
It is set to be a memorable homecoming for the left-hand batter, but one that also finds him focused on helping Australia in their World Test Championship campaign.
"Coming up and representing your country is obviously quite a proud moment," said Weatherald as quoted by ICC.
"To be in front of Territorians and knowing the journey I have gone through to be here is pretty cool. I probably cop more grief if I do not do well up here," he added.
The Bangladesh series represents a fresh opportunity for the left-hand opener after his introduction to international cricket during last summer's Ashes.
He featured in all five Tests of Australia's 4-1 series victory over England, finishing with 201 runs at 22.33 from 10 innings, including a half-century and a string of low-scores or good starts thrown away.
The opener acknowledged that there is room for improvement as he has spent the intervening period working on his game, including a productive County Championship stint with Leicestershire, where he made 483 runs from six games at a superb average of 60.37 and refined his approach that has given him success over the years.
"There has been a few tinkerings, hopefully someone sees it," said Weatherald on his game.
"It feels like I am completely different (in how he is setting up), but everyone says I am still pretty similar, which is sort of what I wanted a little bit. I did not want to change anything dramatically."
"I tried to understand what I was really good at and what I do well in first-class cricket and what I could improve on, and I did well in the Ashes and what I could slightly adjust to make a better game plan overall.
"I think I have done that, so I am pretty pumped to go out and show it."
First Test: August 13-17, Marrara Stadium, Darwin
Second Test: August 22-26, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay
Squads:Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster
Bangladesh squad (first Test): Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mehidy Hasan Miraz (vc), Soumya Sarkar, Shadman Islam, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Amite Hasan, Jaker Ali, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Musfik Hasan.
— ANI
Reader Comments
"I probably cop more grief if I do not do well up here" - I think this is such a relatable statement for any sportsperson playing in front of their home crowd. The pressure of playing at your home ground is real, even in India we see this with our players. Wishing him all the best! 🏏
The guy scored 60+ average in County Championship, so whatever changes he made seem to be working. But let's be honest - County cricket and Test cricket are different beasts. Bangladesh have decent pace attack now with Taskin and Ebadot, this won't be a walk in the park for Australia. Interesting series ahead.
Playing in Darwin for the first time at 31 - that's a lot of patience and hard work. Reminds me of our own players who wait years for their India cap. The "tinkerings" phrase made me smile, very Australian understatement! 😄 Hope he gets a good knock in front of his home crowd.
Actually, let's not ignore the fact that his Ashes numbers weren't great - 201 runs at 22 average is not what you'd expect from an opener. County form is good, but the real test is against a international attack. Bangladesh have shown they can compete, especially in subcontinent-like conditions. Will be watching closely.
Good approach from Weatherald - not trying to overhaul his game completely but making subtle adjustments. As someone who watches a lot of cricket, I appreciate players who understand their strengths. The Bangladesh series is a great opportunity for him to solidify his spot before tougher challenges.
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