AUSTRALIAN coach Tim Nielsen has praised spinner Nathan Hauritz – but will not decide whether to play him in the first ashes Test until seeing the Cardiff wicket.
Hauritz is the only specialist spinner in the Australian squad and has returned combined figures of two for 260 from two warm-up games. But Nielsen said: ‘We won’t know until we get to Cardiff what side to select and the conditions will be critical. But Nathan has got better and better as we have gone on and there is no point in taking 12 wickets in two games now and not being right for the Test.’
Nielsen also expects opener Phil Hughes to overcome his problems with the short ball after twice being dismissed by Steve Harmison bouncers during the final warm-up game against England lions. He added: ‘South Africa bowled like that to him in the winter and he had great success. ‘Steyn, Morkel and Ntini all went hard at him. You have to be pretty precise if you are going to bowl that length to him.’
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