Behrendorff braces for T20I debut
It's been a long time coming, but Jason Behrendorff is set to make his debut in the three-match Twenty20 International series against India, which kicks off in Ranchi on Saturday (October 7).
Behrendorff, the 27-year-old left-arm swing bowler, has overcome two stress fractures in his back and a stress fracture in his leg in recent years.
"Very excited. It's something I've worked so hard for, so hopefully I'll be able to play at least one of these three matches over the next week or so," said Behrendorff on Thursday.
His first Sheffield Shield game back for Western Australia earlier this year saw him take a career-best 14 for 89 against Victoria, with 9 for 37 in the first innings. His overall figures in first-class cricket aren't too shabby either: 123 wickets at 23 in 29 matches.
"I'm feeling really good at the moment," he explained. "I've had an uninterrupted pre-season, for a change, which is my first time in probably a long time. I feel my preparation has been great so far, from playing some pre-season games to playing in the JLT Cup back home. I played a couple of games there as well, so that’s been really positive.
"I feel like my seasons have always started quite slow, so it's something different this year, which is great. It showed last year when I had my build-up coming back from my leg injury, I was able to have a lot of match practice beforehand so I felt ready to go when I came back.
"Most of my cricket has been in four-day cricket, so it's something I've worked really hard at and I'm feeling more confident with how I’m going about it. It's a format I really enjoy and I'm looking forward to starting the four-day summer when I get back home as well."
Behrendorff was quick to acknowledge, though, that the pitches he will encounter in India won't be as helpful as the ones in Australia, and he will have to be on the money from ball one. "The wickets here are different to the ones we play on back home," he said. "It's about execution, having the right field set and bowling the right ball at the right time is going to be huge."
Behrendorff aside, four new faces have flown to India for the T20Is -- Dan Christian, Moises Henriques, Tim Paine and Andrew Tye. A change in format, and personnel, may be just what the doctor ordered for Steve Smith's men, who lost the One-Day International series 4-1.
"The morale is really good," he offered. "The boys who played the one-day series have had a couple of days off. They've had a good time, relaxing and recovering from that. There are five of us who have just joined the squad for the T20Is. We're full of energy and ready to go.
"Having a good attitude at training, having a good attitude at the game, making sure we're doing everything we can to be as upbeat and positive as we can all the time. That's a big part of what the new guys in the group do, myself and the other guys who've just flown in, to have that energy and bring that to the group and keep everyone buzzing."
If Behrendorff does manage to impress, his name could figure in the discussions when the Australian selectors sit down to pick the Ashes squad. Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and James Pattinson were the preferred quartet, but Pattinson has recently been ruled out after re-aggravating a stress fracture in his back.
Behrendorff empathised with Pattinson, but made it clear he wasn't looking further than the T20I series. "It was very unfortunate for James and he's been working so hard to get back," he said. "It's one of those frustrating things as a fast bowler, you're never quite sure when something's around the corner like that. But I'm 100% focused on these games here and making my debut out here."
