SL vs AUS: Doubts Began To Creep Into My Mind After Not Getting Wickets In Pakistan Tests - Mitchell Swepson

Australian spinner Mitchell Swepson opened up on his apprehensions after failure in his debut Test series against Pakistan in March this year. The Queensland player was part of Australia’s Test and ODI squad for their historic tour to Pakistan after 24 years.

Almost four years after making his international debut in the shortest format against England, Swepson got the opportunity to wear the Baggy Green in the Karachi Test of the Pakistan tour.

Doubts began to creep into my mind after not getting wickets in Pakistan Tests: Mitchell Swepson

Swepson claimed Pakistan skipper Babar Azam as his maiden Test wicket and inflicted the run-out of opener Abdullah Shafique. Swepson mustered figures of 2/32 in his debut spell in the first innings but followed with a disappointing show of 0/156 in the second innings as Pakistan salvaged a draw on the back of Azam’s defiant knock (196).

Swepson turned wicketless in the Lahore Test after rolling his arms for 18 overs despite Australia winning the Test and the series by 1-0. The Australian leg-spinner snapped five wickets in the first Test against Sri Lanka while bowling alongside Nathan Lyon.

“I’m not going to lie, it plays on your mind. It definitely creeps in. ‘Why aren’t I taking wickets? What am I doing wrong here?’ At the same time in Pakistan, I know it was about trying to stay effective. A big focus of ours was trying to control the tempo of the game. That was what I had to bring my mind back to if the results weren’t at my end,” Swepson was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

“You’ve got to adapt to the surface. Over here (in Sri Lanka) I’ve found that different paces react differently off the wickets. It’s a matter of flight, it’s a matter of what shape you put on the ball, the angle of the seam.

“I found it quite effective in my first spell bowling with a squarer seam, not as over the top of the ball. Some were skidding past the left-hander’s edge, some were ripping into his gloves,” he added.

I’ve obviously got one eye on India: Mitchell Swepson

Swepson went on an academy tour to India in 2015 and was also a member of Australia’s squad for the four-Test series in the same country in 2017. The 28-year-old spinner targets to play against India in the subcontinent, when Australia visit next year for another high-octane Test series.

“I’ve obviously got one eye on India. That’s definitely a goal of mine. And a goal of this group is to get a series win over there,” he said.

“I love bowling with Gaz [Lyon]…it’s great having an offspinner and a legspinner working in tandem [spinning it different ways],” he added.

Australia, who leads 1-0 in the two-match series, play the second Test against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium starting on July 8.