'You've got to pitch it up, no matter where you are'
Trent Copeland made an impression in Sri Lanka, attacking even with medium pace, and reaping the rewards. He talks about the importance of getting it up there
Interview by Daniel Brettig
03-Oct-2011
Australia's 1-0 Test series victory in Sri Lanka provided a tonic for a team that had coped with plenty of ructions in the lead-up, following a poor home summer. Part of the impetus for success was derived from the three debutants: while Nathan Lyon and Shaun Marsh grabbed more headlines, Trent Copeland played an integral role as the tall, miserly member of the pace attack who dried up one end while the rest attacked from the other. He spoke to ESPNcricinfo about his first Test tour, the prospect of South Africa, and perceptions of his bowling.
What are your reflections on your first Australian tour?
It was one of those tours where I went over there full of excitement. Just the fact that I was going to be in an Australian Test tour carried me the whole way through, I think. Never in my wildest dreams had I thought I'd play three Test matches, but whatever level I've been exposed to, I've made it my goal to make an impression. Luckily I got the chance to do that in the tour match, and it all stemmed from there. In conditions and on wickets that probably don't suit my type of bowling too much, I think I played my role in the team quite well. I dried up an end and created chances with the new ball, especially.
It was one of those tours where I went over there full of excitement. Just the fact that I was going to be in an Australian Test tour carried me the whole way through, I think. Never in my wildest dreams had I thought I'd play three Test matches, but whatever level I've been exposed to, I've made it my goal to make an impression. Luckily I got the chance to do that in the tour match, and it all stemmed from there. In conditions and on wickets that probably don't suit my type of bowling too much, I think I played my role in the team quite well. I dried up an end and created chances with the new ball, especially.
Looking at the three Tests and the tour as a whole, I was really happy just to get a baggy green and to play that debut game with Nathan Lyon, for him to take five-for. There are so many memories of the trip that'll last forever. Shaun Marsh - his dad presenting the cap to him - scoring a hundred; singing the song atop the fort at Galle, all those kinds of things. It really was a priceless memory and something I'll remember forever.
What was the most significant lesson you learned from the trip?
That it doesn't matter what you do, where you come from, as long as you're focused and willing to work hard. You [don't] get to that level if you don't have the skill set to succeed, so just back yourself. There's a lot of comment about my pace and stuff like that, but I think I've gone a long way in proving that, even over there, where the ball doesn't swing around much, which is one of my strengths back home and hopefully in South Africa, I was still able to be successful just through manipulating my length - between full and short, not allowing the batters to ease onto the front foot or get back, and let it just plonk into the slow wickets.
That it doesn't matter what you do, where you come from, as long as you're focused and willing to work hard. You [don't] get to that level if you don't have the skill set to succeed, so just back yourself. There's a lot of comment about my pace and stuff like that, but I think I've gone a long way in proving that, even over there, where the ball doesn't swing around much, which is one of my strengths back home and hopefully in South Africa, I was still able to be successful just through manipulating my length - between full and short, not allowing the batters to ease onto the front foot or get back, and let it just plonk into the slow wickets.
I think that was crucial. A big learning curve for me was that being disciplined around that length was so critical on flat, slow subcontinent wickets when I don't have the 150kph pace to blast people out. If the batters made a mistake, I was ready to capitalise.
As an observer it's difficult to remember a better recent ensemble effort by a group of Australian bowlers.
I know Ryan Harris is a superb bowler, and when he's fit he's one of the best in the world. So bowling at the other end from him, doing my role, I suppose we made each other look good. With him taking wickets, and when I was able to take some early wickets as well, we always had them on the back foot to start with, especially in the first two Tests. Then Pete Siddle came in for the third Test and took his chance with both hands as well. Mitch [Johnson] probably doesn't get the credit he deserves. He bowled some very fast spells, and I can tell you from facing him in the nets, it's not good fun. Even Jimmy Pattinson, who didn't get a game, really worked his arse off over there.
I know Ryan Harris is a superb bowler, and when he's fit he's one of the best in the world. So bowling at the other end from him, doing my role, I suppose we made each other look good. With him taking wickets, and when I was able to take some early wickets as well, we always had them on the back foot to start with, especially in the first two Tests. Then Pete Siddle came in for the third Test and took his chance with both hands as well. Mitch [Johnson] probably doesn't get the credit he deserves. He bowled some very fast spells, and I can tell you from facing him in the nets, it's not good fun. Even Jimmy Pattinson, who didn't get a game, really worked his arse off over there.
The success we had on the tour and the work ethic of the blokes in such hot, humid conditions can only breed success. Lyon couldn't have done much better on a debut tour against quality opposition who've been very good at playing spin, especially in their own conditions. So we're in good hands for the future, hopefully.
You and Nathan Lyon go back a long way together. How did you view his growth over the course of the tour?
Him and I are very similar in the fact that we're very much country boys and we don't get ahead of ourselves. It was so good to have him in the team, fielding at mid-off when I was bowling. I could turn to him and say, "I can't believe I'm bowling to Kumar Sangakkara in a Test match in Sri Lanka". We could have that real conversation, as opposed to being the only one there, and if you get taken aback by it for a second or you've got to pinch yourself, you don't have anyone to bounce that off. So I think that was a real bonus for both of us. I think he's always going to be confident in his bowling. He still tosses it up, he still spins it, and I've no doubt taking a five-for on debut will have given him that bit of a boost that he knows he can do it.
Him and I are very similar in the fact that we're very much country boys and we don't get ahead of ourselves. It was so good to have him in the team, fielding at mid-off when I was bowling. I could turn to him and say, "I can't believe I'm bowling to Kumar Sangakkara in a Test match in Sri Lanka". We could have that real conversation, as opposed to being the only one there, and if you get taken aback by it for a second or you've got to pinch yourself, you don't have anyone to bounce that off. So I think that was a real bonus for both of us. I think he's always going to be confident in his bowling. He still tosses it up, he still spins it, and I've no doubt taking a five-for on debut will have given him that bit of a boost that he knows he can do it.
Collectively the quicks bowled a lot fuller than we've seen from Australian teams in recent times. A case of planning paying off?
That was a real focus of Craig McDermott's work with us. Even talking to Michael Clarke in preparation for the tour, and also my stuff with Australia A with Troy Cooley and Jason Gillespie. Sidds was over there with us. We focused on the fact that in subcontinent conditions, if you bowl that back of a length, they're such good players, they can just sit on it and wait for it. We were of the philosophy that if you pitch it up and it does happen to do something for you, then it doesn't give them time to adjust, so you can attack the stumps a little more. Even if we were to get driven down the ground a few times, we were willing to take that.
That was a real focus of Craig McDermott's work with us. Even talking to Michael Clarke in preparation for the tour, and also my stuff with Australia A with Troy Cooley and Jason Gillespie. Sidds was over there with us. We focused on the fact that in subcontinent conditions, if you bowl that back of a length, they're such good players, they can just sit on it and wait for it. We were of the philosophy that if you pitch it up and it does happen to do something for you, then it doesn't give them time to adjust, so you can attack the stumps a little more. Even if we were to get driven down the ground a few times, we were willing to take that.
A good example of that was [Tillakaratne] Dilshan: he came out, he hit a couple of fours here or there, but we really felt like we were in the game because he just goes after everything. I was lucky enough to get him out a few times as well. And Harris or Siddle or myself, we think if we can hit the seam and get it to move around a little bit… Batsmen just love that feel of bat on ball up the top. You can really capitalise on it. So, good work from the coaching staff. They drilled it into us and made it a real focus for us.
"My pace is down around the low 120s. I would ideally like it to be up in the high 120s-low 130s. There were a couple of balls in a spell in Kandy that were over 130 or just under. That's the long-term goal, to be there, but to me it's not a big issue"
Can we expect to see that fuller length more often now, in all conditions?
I'm the type of bowler who pitches it up anyway, so it wasn't too much of a shock to my system. I think committing blokes to come forward and attack you when the ball is new is crucial to getting those edges and getting the lbw or bowled decisions.
I'm the type of bowler who pitches it up anyway, so it wasn't too much of a shock to my system. I think committing blokes to come forward and attack you when the ball is new is crucial to getting those edges and getting the lbw or bowled decisions.
McDermott's philosophy is that we've got to pitch it up, no matter where we are in the world, and I think it is a good thing, because it is something I do naturally anyway, and something the rest of the bowling group has spoken about. We were very happy with how it worked in Sri Lanka and created a lot of chances on wickets that were pretty bloody flat. Without giving too much away about our bowling plans and things like that, it is obviously a key focus for us.
Troy Cooley, as interim coach for the South Africa tour, has already paralleled you to Andrew McDonald and his role there in 2009. Is that how you see yourself contributing?
I suppose in terms of what Andrew McDonald did, in terms of how fast he bowls and the fact he likes to swing the ball a little bit both ways, there are similarities there. But the fact that I bowl with the new ball and I'm just that little bit taller, I think makes a big difference in what I try to do. I understand the comparisons are there, definitely, and if I can be as successful as McDonald was, and as the team was on that tour, winning matches like that, then I'll be very happy.
I suppose in terms of what Andrew McDonald did, in terms of how fast he bowls and the fact he likes to swing the ball a little bit both ways, there are similarities there. But the fact that I bowl with the new ball and I'm just that little bit taller, I think makes a big difference in what I try to do. I understand the comparisons are there, definitely, and if I can be as successful as McDonald was, and as the team was on that tour, winning matches like that, then I'll be very happy.
How are you going about preparing for South Africa?
Once I got back I was straight into grade cricket. I got in some batting practice, batting at No. 6 for St George, and then got into my bowling workloads. So I used grade cricket as my preparation leading up to the Shield game prior to South Africa. Then hopefully, pending selection, in that first Shield game I can really work on getting that ball to swing the way I want it to. It's been a strength for me in the last 12-18 months at home. Also, using my bouncer at the right times. Without being an express bowler, I think bowling on good wickets over there to guys like [Jacques] Kallis, [Graeme] Smith, [AB] de Villiers, you need to have that change of length. Aside from that, the NSW boys are away with the Champions League, so there's no actual fixtures for us here. It's just about being smart, getting my training in, and doing plenty of fitness work to make sure the body's good to go.
Once I got back I was straight into grade cricket. I got in some batting practice, batting at No. 6 for St George, and then got into my bowling workloads. So I used grade cricket as my preparation leading up to the Shield game prior to South Africa. Then hopefully, pending selection, in that first Shield game I can really work on getting that ball to swing the way I want it to. It's been a strength for me in the last 12-18 months at home. Also, using my bouncer at the right times. Without being an express bowler, I think bowling on good wickets over there to guys like [Jacques] Kallis, [Graeme] Smith, [AB] de Villiers, you need to have that change of length. Aside from that, the NSW boys are away with the Champions League, so there's no actual fixtures for us here. It's just about being smart, getting my training in, and doing plenty of fitness work to make sure the body's good to go.
Is it useful in a way that Usman Khawaja and you missed out on the Champions League, so you're seeing a lot of each other around the SCG?
Usman and I were obviously very disappointed to be left out of the squad, but in hindsight it has worked pretty well for us. We can get in our preparation, especially having four weeks of solid net practice against each other. Uzzy fancies himself as an offie so I'll get my batting practice in as well. I'm sure Pup will be around too, and we can just keep our focus solely on Test cricket, whereas the guys at the Champions League have got a bit of hit-and-giggle stuff for the next couple of weeks, then home and hard into the Test stuff.
Usman and I were obviously very disappointed to be left out of the squad, but in hindsight it has worked pretty well for us. We can get in our preparation, especially having four weeks of solid net practice against each other. Uzzy fancies himself as an offie so I'll get my batting practice in as well. I'm sure Pup will be around too, and we can just keep our focus solely on Test cricket, whereas the guys at the Champions League have got a bit of hit-and-giggle stuff for the next couple of weeks, then home and hard into the Test stuff.
You can't have seen much of Michael Clarke before the tour. How do you view him as a captain and a batsman?
I played one Shield game [as 12th man] with him last year, where he scored a hundred, just prior to the Ashes. The thing that sticks out for me is that in the practice match and in that Shield game, he scored hundreds in both games, and in the Test matches this time around he got one or two low scores, but he really is one of those guys who, when he gets an opportunity, he cashes in on it. Going into that team for the first time, after watching it on TV to how it was, there is a breath of fresh air in the group. Everyone is really pumped. Everyone is really behind Michael. I think he gets that respect from everyone when he talks, and as we saw throughout the series, he made some really clutch decisions and got some serious rewards for putting his neck out there. Bringing on Huss to have a bowl and having three catching midwickets, or actually coming to us with a bowling plan and asking us to execute it, I think it worked really well.
I played one Shield game [as 12th man] with him last year, where he scored a hundred, just prior to the Ashes. The thing that sticks out for me is that in the practice match and in that Shield game, he scored hundreds in both games, and in the Test matches this time around he got one or two low scores, but he really is one of those guys who, when he gets an opportunity, he cashes in on it. Going into that team for the first time, after watching it on TV to how it was, there is a breath of fresh air in the group. Everyone is really pumped. Everyone is really behind Michael. I think he gets that respect from everyone when he talks, and as we saw throughout the series, he made some really clutch decisions and got some serious rewards for putting his neck out there. Bringing on Huss to have a bowl and having three catching midwickets, or actually coming to us with a bowling plan and asking us to execute it, I think it worked really well.
Australia had seldom seen a pace bowler in the slips since Terry Alderman. Was it anything to do with your earlier wicketkeeping?
I think so, definitely. When I first got over to the tour, Stumper [Steve Rixon] was around doing some catching stuff and I jumped into the slips practice group. He came over and had a word to me that my movement was really good - moving to both sides and down low and stuff like that. I've got no doubt that comes from keeping, and probably playing hockey as a youngster. And doing a lot of practice at it, it's something I really enjoy doing. It's a very good challenge, fielding in Kandy to Mitchell Johnson at third slip, and to Shane Watson at first slip, and standing so close because the wickets were so slow. Mitch bowling at 145kph certainly keeps you on your toes. If I can be successful at it, it's certainly going to make my bowling longevity a lot easier.
I think so, definitely. When I first got over to the tour, Stumper [Steve Rixon] was around doing some catching stuff and I jumped into the slips practice group. He came over and had a word to me that my movement was really good - moving to both sides and down low and stuff like that. I've got no doubt that comes from keeping, and probably playing hockey as a youngster. And doing a lot of practice at it, it's something I really enjoy doing. It's a very good challenge, fielding in Kandy to Mitchell Johnson at third slip, and to Shane Watson at first slip, and standing so close because the wickets were so slow. Mitch bowling at 145kph certainly keeps you on your toes. If I can be successful at it, it's certainly going to make my bowling longevity a lot easier.
Does it bristle at all that some still question whether you're quick enough?
Not really. The people who think it is an issue really haven't seen me bowl enough. The people who have been there and watched me do what I do for a long time, understand the things I do, the processes I go through, have been successful at any level. So it's not a huge issue for me, but bowling a lot of slower balls and bowling a lot of overs, especially in conditions like the last Test in Colombo, does take it out of me.
My pace is down around the low 120s. I would ideally like it to be up in the high 120s-low 130s. There were a couple of balls in a spell in Kandy that were over 130 or just under. That's the long-term goal, to be there, but to me it's not a big issue. Not something I go home and lose sleep about, or something that's ever even discussed with me at training. I just go about my business and worry about moving the ball in the air and off the seam.
And if batsmen go after you, you're looking to take advantage.
If blokes see that as an opportunity for them, I'm happy for them to try to take it. It creates more opportunities for me, and guys who don't respect what I do give me far greater opportunity of getting them out. I've noticed in my second year of Shield cricket a lot more blokes trying to leave me and counteract by batting out of their crease to not allow me to just bowl and bowl and bowl. There'll be different things that come my way and different challenges, and I've just got to be ready for that.
If blokes see that as an opportunity for them, I'm happy for them to try to take it. It creates more opportunities for me, and guys who don't respect what I do give me far greater opportunity of getting them out. I've noticed in my second year of Shield cricket a lot more blokes trying to leave me and counteract by batting out of their crease to not allow me to just bowl and bowl and bowl. There'll be different things that come my way and different challenges, and I've just got to be ready for that.
Daniel Brettig is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo