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Cricket - Australia fast bowlers Peter Siddle and Mitchell Starc have voiced what many watchers wondered during Australia's match against India on the weekend, pondering why spinner Adam Zampa only bowled two overs.
Zampa had been one of the Aussies' more effective bowlers during the tournament, and the fact that skipper Steve Smith only bowled him for two overs in Mohali, ending in defeat and a plane ticket home, baffled the pacemen.
Spinner Glenn Maxwell also only bowled two overs, but Zampa was economical and troubled the batsmen. India reached the 161 required with five balls to spare, to advance to the semi-finals.
Siddle said on The Unplayable Podcast: "We're all going to be asking questions for a couple of weeks now - why did (Zampa) not bowl more?
"I think India showed the way in the start of (Australia’s batting) innings as their spinners bowled well, took wickets and kept the runs down. (Ravi) Ashwin went for a few but the others held up an end and bowled well.
"I think throughout the tournament we've seen - with New Zealand and all their spin options doing well - that (spin) works.
"So that was the disappointing thing not to see Zamps bowl more. He’s shown in other games he can take wickets when given the opportunity and that’s what we needed to do when we needed to take wickets."
Starc, who missed the tournament after having ankle surgery, also expressed surprise while still being diplomatic about his skipper: "Zampa’s bowled really well in the previous two games but I do think we could have used him in those extra two overs.
"(Off-spinner) Glenn Maxwell comes on and takes wickets pretty much every game he plays so he’s another spin option (that could have been used more).
"Smithy’s been pretty good with rotating his bowlers and working out when to bowl them. It’s just one of those nights when you should have bowled Zamps the extra two."
