Australian batter Alex Carey has shown significant improvement in his performances during the ongoing Test matches in England. Having scored 180 runs in three innings and being dismissed only twice, Carey has emerged as one of Australia’s confident batters. This turnaround comes after a subpar tour of India earlier this year, where he struggled and often lost his wicket while attempting unorthodox shots.
In an interview with Cricket.com.au, Alex Carey revealed that he decided to abandon the reverse sweep shot after receiving criticism from two of the world’s best batters, Virat Kohli and Steve Smith, as well as his wife Eloise.
Carey had attempted the reverse sweep 17 times in 2023 and was dismissed on four occasions, including a dismissal by Ravindra Jadeja in the first innings of the World Test Championship (WTC) final. Reflecting on that dismissal, Carey admitted, “There was no need to play that shot at The Oval in the first innings.”
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Carey acknowledged the influence of Kohli and Smith’s advice, considering their expertise and experience. He also mentioned a segment from Ricky Ponting’s commentary during the WTC final, which showcased his better success rate when playing the standard sweep shot.
Although Alex Carey played the reverse sweep once in the first innings against England at Edgbaston, he explained that he attempted it only when a scoring opportunity presented itself. He carefully analyzed the field placement and the absence of a boundary-riding fielder before making the decision.
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While he didn’t succeed on that occasion, he recognized other opportunities to score runs. Apart from his improved batting, Alex Carey has established himself as a reliable wicketkeeper for Australia after replacing former captain Tim Paine. His contributions with both the bat and gloves have been valuable throughout the WTC cycle, including the final match. Carey’s ability to score runs late in the innings has played a crucial role for Australia.
