Australian fast bowler Peter Siddle has admitted that he will have to work hard in the few days before the first Ashes Test to seal his spot in the attack that he has carried for much of the past 18 months.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Siddle has been a constant, competitive, unrelenting presence while the younger quicks like James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc and Jackson Bird burst in and out of the side, often breaking down.
However, the report added that wickets have come in large number for the youngsters on this tour, while Siddle has 1-117 from the Somerset game and no more than a wicket in each innings during the Australia A series.
Admitting that he lacked rhythm and consistency in the tour match at Somerset, Siddle said that he hoped that he would be trusted to get the job done at Trent Bridge because of his experience and his record as Australia's go-to man, although he added that he will have to show in these next few training sessions that he is ready for the first Test.
According to Siddle, there is a lot at stake throughout the Ashes series, in which there is a big chance that all five Australian bowlers may be selected, adding that even though he wants to play in the Ashes, he will have to keep working to get rhythm right for the second series if he is not selected for the summer one.
Stating that he needed to take wickets and get a breakthrough every now and then, the right-arm quick also said that he had not applied that technique at Somerset and could get into the game early enough, which made him inconsistent and did not give him the extra confidence to keep building pressure.
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However, Siddle said that he planned to target England captain Alastair Cook as he figured that Cook will have a bit on his plate as he tries to bed down a new opening partnership with the boyish Joe Root, adding that having inexperienced players with him may put a bit of added pressure.
But, the report said that Siddle is the only bowler in the squad who has played Tests in England and it would be a gamble to begin a titanic series such as this without him.