World Cup 2023: What’s troubling Australia’s Adam Zampa? | Cricket-world-cup News

What’s happening with Adam Zampa? Last March, when Australia played an ODI before their World Cup opener against India in Chennai, Zampa had walked away with the man of the match award. That evening where Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Ashton Agar found enough bite off the surface, it was the leg-spinner who picked up four wickets because he was more daring than the Indians as Australia successfully defended 269.
On Sunday, Australia had 70 runs fewer and knew dew could be a factor in the last 10 overs of the chase. But when their fast bowlers made early inroads, the target of 200 suddenly seemed bigger, especially with Zampa around. In these slow, low conditions Indian batsmen can be often under pressure and self-destructive. As recently as the Asia Cup, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh spinners had exposed this weakness.
So from the moment Josh Hazlewood reduced India to 2 for 3 in the second over, it was expected that Zampa would have a bigger role to play on this surface. There was turn. If delivered slower through the air, the odd ball was stopping off the surface. If he gave more revs and bowled quicker through the air, he was bound to skid on. The only issue was someone forgot to tell Pat Cummins about it as the leg-spinner came on to bowl only in the 18th over well behind Glenn Maxwell who had delivered four overs then. Having chosen to include only one leg-spinner, a tribe who needs plenty of trust and confidence, Australia, especially Cummins, appeared to miss a trick on Sunday. Instead of playing the attacking role, he quickly resorted to playing a defensive role after being attacked initially KL Rahul, conceding only one boundary in his remaining seven overs.

Former Australian captain Aaron Finch reckons Zampa is yet to recover from a neck injury. “Adam Zampa clearly didn’t bowl as well as he has in the past. He’s had a neck injury and some shoulder issues, so understandably is a little bit below his best,” he wrote in the ICC newsletter. “The ball got very wet and the way that KL Rahul hit him off his length in the first over was devastating. He played a beautiful late cut to a very good ball and that forced Zamps to be a little bit fuller, to strive for a little more pace and ultimately overpitch. That was down to great batting rather than anything Zamps could have done differently, they just had the better of him today.”
Having arrived at the World Cup with just one lone spinner in Zampa as Australia chose to replace the injured Ashton Agar with Marnus Labuschagne, they already have their hands tied. Of course, there is Maxwell, who can be banked on to deliver 10 overs of off-spin, but all said and done he is only a part-time bowler. It was a night where Australia could have benefitted from having another spinner, but just like they did in the 2011 edition where they relied only on Jason Krezja and ended up making only the quarterfinals, they seem to be making the same make.

“No, I don’t think so,” Hazlewood said if Australia missed another spinner. “I think our quicks are our strength, probably up front as we saw tonight. And then I think Maxwell is a frontline spinner in particular in India. He’s bowled a lot here throughout IPL and throughout one dayers. So, no I don’t feel that we’re short at all,” he added.Most Read
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That Cummins has captained Australia in only a grand total of just two ODIs this year helped little. In the same period, Zampa had played nine games and was expected to play a lead role in the campaign with Agar around. But with the left-arm spinner not around, it just leaves Australia with Zampa, a leg-spinner with whom their captain has played only two matches this year.

Next up in the World Cup, Australia are headed to Lucknow, a venue which only has black soil pitches. Even though the World Cup matches will be played on a relaid surface at the Ekana Stadium, it remains to be seen how different it plays from the IPL, where the pitch was sluggish and hard to score off. Australia are set to face South Africa and Sri Lanka at Lucknow, two teams who have good spinners in their ranks and also better players of spin. Apart from ensuring their batsmen get their act right on such a surface, Australia need to ensure Zampa regains the confidence, if not their campaign has all the potential to go in the wrong direction.
Maybe dialling Nathan Lyon, who has recovered from a calf-injury, may not be a bad idea.