New challenge in Bengaluru

O’Keefe stunned India with 12-70 in Pune, the best match figures by a touring spinner, as Australia won by 333-runs on a surface that spun sharply from ball one. 

But if recent history is anything to go by don’t expect spin bowling to dominate the second Test in Bengaluru like it so spectacularly did in Pune, where 30 of the 40 wickets were captured by spinners. 

“He’s got to adapt, hasn’t he?” Sriram said when asked if O’Keefe can have the same affect in Bengaluru if a flatter pitch is rolled out. “He’s got to find out the pace to bowl, the different lengths to bowl, and he’s got to be a lot more patient which he knows he has to be because he’s not going to get 6-35 and 6-35 every day in a Test match, can he?” 

While the Pune Test – the first ever at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium – was played on a rank-turner that aided the spinners, expect a vastly different surface at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium and the pacemen to play a more prominent role. Since Australia played in Bengaluru in March, 1998, fast bowlers boast a better average than spinners, 35.4 to 38.7, and a better a strike rate, 69.3 to 76. 

In fact, of bowlers with at least five wickets in Bengaluru in the past 20 years, four of the five bowlers with the worst averages are spinners. 

And not just any ordinary spinners, but three of the of Test cricket’s greatest wicket-takers. 

Former leg-spinner and current India coach Anil Kumble captured 26 wickets in seven matches at 45.46 runs apiece, while legend Shane Warne (9 wickets at 42.11), Pakistan’s Danish Kaneria (11 at 39.73) and Australia’s tormenter of the past Harbhajan Singh (30 at 38.53) also proved costly. 

Only Pakistan paceman Mohammad Sami broke up the clutter of spinners, with his nine wickets costing 44.67 runs each. 

Meanwhile, fast bowlers with at least five wickets dominate the best averages. 

Behind Shahid Afridi (5 at 8.6) and South Africa’s Nicky Boje (7 at 13.29) come champion quick Glenn McGrath (6 at 15.67), New Zealand’s Tim Southee (8 at 16.50) and Queenslander Michael Kasprowicz (10 at 17). 

Fortunately Australia’s two premier speedsters, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, will be fresh for the second Test having bowled 20 overs between them in Pune, while seam-bowling allrounder Mitchell Marsh was not called upon to bowl by captain Steve Smith.