AshesPeter Siddle reveals how Steve Waugh's words changed Australia's fate at Edgbaston in 2019

By India Today Sports DeskAustralia fast bowler Peter Siddle reflected on a memorable moment from the 2019 Ashes series at Edgbaston.

With Australia struggling at 122/8 on the opening day, a devastating loss seemed imminent. However, Siddle’s partnership with Steve Smith, coupled with the echoes of advice from former Australia captain Steve Waugh, turned the tide.

Before the match, Waugh, acting as a consultant for the tour, emphasised the value of contributions from the bowlers with the bat. He encouraged them to support the established batters, rotate the strike, and steadily accumulate runs. This message resonated with Siddle and his teammates, as they recognised the importance of the lower order’s contribution to the team’s success.

“He spoke to all the bowlers, not so much about what we can do with our bowling, but how valuable we can be with contributions with the bat throughout the series. And that was literally the day before that first Test,” Siddle told ESPNcricinfo.

“He spoke about hanging out there, especially if there’s a batter there, just hanging with him and ticking the runs over, rotating the strike.”

Brad Haddin, then the Australia assistant coach, further emphasised the significance of the lower order’s role. Having been a wicketkeeper-batter himself, Haddin understood the value of having competent batters around him. He stressed the need to push the team’s total higher and was willing to invest time in working with the bowlers to improve their batting skills.

“Hads [Haddin] has always been a big one on that, obviously with him being a keeper batting at seven through his career, a lot of his batting tended to be with the lower order,” Siddle said.

“It’s always been a big emphasis for him to have those batters around him. So there’s always a strong focus and he was one of the coaches that would be willing to stay around and keep working with you to get that extra hit in knowing how important it was to him when he played, but how important it was just in general for the team to push that total up a little bit more.”

Motivated by these speeches, the Australia bowlers took up the challenge. Siddle, in particular, displayed resilience, contributing 85 runs in 44 balls alongside Steve Smith’s outstanding century. The pair’s partnership of 88 runs, followed by Nathan Lyon’s contribution, added 74 runs for the final wicket. Mitchell Starc also made an unbeaten half-century, forming a crucial partnership of 51 runs with Smith.

These combined efforts helped Australia declare at 497/8, setting up a commanding position in the match. The bowlers’ remarkable batting display showcased their determination, proving that they could be reliable with the bat as well. Australia went on to beat England by 251 runs at Edgbaston.