Australian bowler Stuart Clark said his team's thorough preparation for the series against India bore fruit with surgical precision in the opening cricket Test, a report said Friday.
The Indian batting lineup had promised much heading into the four-Test series, but delivered little in their first showdown with the Australian bowling attack, succumbing to a 147-run innings deficit on Thursday.
Clark and Brett Lee were the Australian wreckers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Seamer Clark revealed a forensic examination of the Indian batsmen had contributed to their downfall.
For the past few seasons, the Australians, heading for a 15th consecutive Test victory, have had access to video and statistical data to assist in their demolition of opposition teams.
The specifically-tailored video packages provided by the team's performance analyst are designed to uncover batsmen's idiosyncrasies, tendencies and deficiencies.
Clark and the rest of the Australian bowlers were well versed in where and how to bowl to the Indians after months of digesting all the information.
"Most of the guys have portable PlayStations, but I take my laptop with me everywhere we go," Clark told Friday's The Sydney Morning Herald.
He snared the prized wickets of Sachin Tendulkar (62) and Rahul Dravid (5) in his 4-28 off 15 overs, while speedster Lee joined the 250 Test wickets club with his 4-46.
"We can get pretty much anything we want: each batsman's scoring shots, strengths and weaknesses.
"We can even get things like the way they bat leading into dismissals, and how they are when they first come to the crease. It's as much a part of preparing for a Test as training and practice," Clark said in the report.
The Australian bowlers squeezed the runs out of the Indians early, restricting the technically-proficient Dravid to five runs off 66 balls and V.V.S. Laxman to 26 off 56 balls.
But it was Clark's dismissal of Tendulkar which proved the turning point in the second day's play.
Tendulkar was in his pomp, caressing drives and cuts for boundaries. He crashed leg-spinner Brad Hogg for a huge six before he chopped a Clark delivery on to his stumps for 62 nearing tea.
"He was batting beautifully," Clark said of Tendulkar. "Any time you see him walking back to the pavilion is a good moment for the opposition because he's such a great player.
"Hopefully, if we can build that pressure on him every time we play him -- if we're not getting him out, he's not scoring any runs -- we can create that pressure and intensity that's required in Test cricket.
"If we do that, then he can find ways to get himself out.
"We were going to bowl straight, or set him up to bowl straight.
"He chopped it on, and that was one of the modes of dismissal, but more so we were going to have a go at his pads because the ball was reversing in a little bit."
The Australians prize Tendulkar's wicket each time he comes out to bat against them. He has only been bowled four times in the 40 Test innings he has played against Australia since 1991.
Tendulkar has scored 1,921 runs in 22 Test matches against Australia at 53.36, slightly down on his career average of 55.10.
The Indian batting lineup had promised much heading into the four-Test series, but delivered little in their first showdown with the Australian bowling attack, succumbing to a 147-run innings deficit on Thursday.
Clark and Brett Lee were the Australian wreckers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Seamer Clark revealed a forensic examination of the Indian batsmen had contributed to their downfall.
For the past few seasons, the Australians, heading for a 15th consecutive Test victory, have had access to video and statistical data to assist in their demolition of opposition teams.
The specifically-tailored video packages provided by the team's performance analyst are designed to uncover batsmen's idiosyncrasies, tendencies and deficiencies.
Clark and the rest of the Australian bowlers were well versed in where and how to bowl to the Indians after months of digesting all the information.
"Most of the guys have portable PlayStations, but I take my laptop with me everywhere we go," Clark told Friday's The Sydney Morning Herald.
He snared the prized wickets of Sachin Tendulkar (62) and Rahul Dravid (5) in his 4-28 off 15 overs, while speedster Lee joined the 250 Test wickets club with his 4-46.
"We can get pretty much anything we want: each batsman's scoring shots, strengths and weaknesses.
"We can even get things like the way they bat leading into dismissals, and how they are when they first come to the crease. It's as much a part of preparing for a Test as training and practice," Clark said in the report.
The Australian bowlers squeezed the runs out of the Indians early, restricting the technically-proficient Dravid to five runs off 66 balls and V.V.S. Laxman to 26 off 56 balls.
But it was Clark's dismissal of Tendulkar which proved the turning point in the second day's play.
Tendulkar was in his pomp, caressing drives and cuts for boundaries. He crashed leg-spinner Brad Hogg for a huge six before he chopped a Clark delivery on to his stumps for 62 nearing tea.
"He was batting beautifully," Clark said of Tendulkar. "Any time you see him walking back to the pavilion is a good moment for the opposition because he's such a great player.
"Hopefully, if we can build that pressure on him every time we play him -- if we're not getting him out, he's not scoring any runs -- we can create that pressure and intensity that's required in Test cricket.
"If we do that, then he can find ways to get himself out.
"We were going to bowl straight, or set him up to bowl straight.
"He chopped it on, and that was one of the modes of dismissal, but more so we were going to have a go at his pads because the ball was reversing in a little bit."
The Australians prize Tendulkar's wicket each time he comes out to bat against them. He has only been bowled four times in the 40 Test innings he has played against Australia since 1991.
Tendulkar has scored 1,921 runs in 22 Test matches against Australia at 53.36, slightly down on his career average of 55.10.
