Quantcast

Smith credits pace depth for rise to No.1

Captain praises Australia's fast-bowlers for filling holes left by retirement and injury

Many factors led to Australia reclaiming the No.1 Test ranking, but their depth of fast-bowlers was high on the list.

Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris both retired last year, robbing coach Darren Lehmann of the two most important veterans in his pace battery, before injuries also started to stack up over summer.

Quick Single: Australia's road back to No.1

Pat Cummins had high hopes of playing his first Test on home soil but suffered yet another stress fracture in his back.

Mitchell Starc was booked in for overdue ankle surgery after the inaugural day-night Test.

Nathan Coulter-Nile dislocated a shoulder when a Baggy Green beckoned after Starc's setback.

Peter Siddle prospered but dealt with ankle and back problems, the latter ruling him out of the second trans-Tasman Test in Christchurch this week.

Quick Single: Australia complete series sweep

And James Pattinson was held back at the start of the summer as he continued to build following a long injury lay-off.

Yet by using a combination of six quicks - Starc, Johnson, Siddle, Pattinson, Josh Hazlewood and Jackson Bird - over the course of the summer, plus the pace of allrounder Mitchell Marsh and unrelenting spin of the ever-improving Nathan Lyon, the Aussies have vaulted back to the No.1 position.

WATCH: Australia win second Test, go to No.1

Skipper Steve Smith couldn't be prouder of how his inexperienced attack rattled New Zealand in a 2-0 series win.

"You always want your strike bowlers on the park as much as possible," Smith said.

"But I guess that's the way cricket works.

"Particularly with fast bowlers, they can go down at any time.

"Credit to the Australian system, having so many guys around that are capable of playing Test cricket."

Throw in the likes of Joel Paris, Scott Boland, John Hastings and Kane Richardson, who helped carry the load during the one-day international campaign and gave the Test quicks some much-needed time off, there's no shortage of fast-bowling options for Australia to choose from.

Hazlewood stepped up as the spearhead of the attack, playing all eight Tests of the summer and setting the tone for the NZ series by snaring three wickets in his opening spell on day one of the first Test.

But reborn Tasmania quick Jackson Bird was just as influential in the second Test, grabbing his maiden five-wicket haul in Christchurch.

WATCH: Bird claims maiden Test five-for

"I thought he bowled really well, particularly in this second innings to take five wickets," Smith said.

"It's great to have the stocks in Australia to make sure we're putting a good side on the park every game we play."