Wasn't at my best; but felt the ball was coming out well: John Hastings

Australian pacer John Hastings last played an ODI for the national team in February 2016 and was in Sri Lanka preparing himself for the Twenty20 International series next month. But fate had something else in store for him. Nathan Coulter-Nile injured his back and had to fly back home. That left the Aussie selectors with no other option but to draft in Hastings for the 3rd ODI. Having done fairly well in the match he admitted that he wasn’t 100% ready for it.

He returned with figures of 2/41 from the game and played a key role in the close victory for Australia that helped them take a 2-1 lead in the series. Hastings has in the past been facing issues with his shoulders and suffered another in the ankle during the IPL season this year.

The muscular paceman agreed that he wasn’t at his best but was quite pleased with the way he shaped up during the game. “There was no doubt I’m probably still a touch under done,” Hastings said. “But I still felt like the ball was coming out well and it was going where I wanted it to go, which is probably the main thing that you lose when you don’t play matches.

“I felt ready and I wouldn’t have said I was if I wasn’t so I got out there and gave it my all, as I tend to always do,” he said.

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Hastings also added that he has put in a lot of effort in the last few months to make a comeback to the national team. “I’ve done a lot of hard work over this last four or five months and haven’t played since the IPL,” Hastings said. “I felt a bit sore two weeks into the IPL and had a stress fracture in my left ankle and it was going to be the same recovery time.

“So the doctors thought it would be a good idea to get in there and shave a couple of spurs off the front of the ankle,” he added. “It wasn’t a major operation but it was enough for me to be out for a little while.”

He isn’t out and out quick but relies on his ability to outsmart the batsmen with consistent lines which isn’t something they enjoy and has helped him pick wickets even on the not-so-supportive subcontinent wickets. The Australian before being selected for the national squad had impressed most with his wicket-taking ability for his domestic team Victoria.

“I honestly believe in a little bit of cross seam and a few cutters, not too slow, and if you can just get that ball in the right area it’s quite hard to hit you back down the ground over your head,’ he said. “So I think the length is the key, and just bowling at the stumps.

“Because if they want to take a risk, more often than not you’re going to be at the stumps,” he added. “It really is pretty simple, but that’s what I live and die by.”

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