Sixers to reap the rewards after undergoing gruelling travel schedule
India haven’t given Australia the upper hand in too many scenarios this summer, but a resurgent Sixers outfit has taken an unusual advantage from their arrival in Sydney a fortnight ago.
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Booted out of their home ground while India took up temporary residence at the Sydney Cricket Ground, the Sixers have found a silver lining with the bonus of a rare week off to recharge their batteries after a sensational start to the Big Bash season.
With the SCG unavailable between December 27 and January 16 to accommodate Virat Kohli’s touring Indians, the Sixers were faced with the gruelling prospect of playing five successive games on the road while all their opponents were able to split their games between home and away.
The Sixers have already played four of the five games, and won three of them to jump to second spot on the ladder, and now have a full week off to prepare for this Sunday’s clash against the Scorchers in Perth before they can have the keys back to their own home.
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No team would ever choose such a tough schedule but the flip side is that after doing better than expected on the road, the Sixers have got the luxury of playing most of their remaining matches at home and are the only team with a full week off in the middle of the season.
“We’re very happy about it because we desperately need it for the group,” Sixers coach Greg Shipperd told The Daily Telegraph.
“Even around the games, we do a lot training and planning so it’s pretty full on for the boys so this is a good little freshen up.
“When you play so many away games like that, it can either unify the group or make it really tough so we’re pretty thrilled with where we’re at the moment.”
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None of the Sixers are more delighted to get the break than the fast bowlers, who have had to go up against some of the best hitters in the country in hostile territory but have come through with flying colours.
The only danger is that the break could stall the momentum they have built up but paceman Sean Abbott isn’t worried at all, and reckons the let-up will revitalise the quicks for the second half of the season when they are finally allowed back on the SCG.
“You can sort of get into a bit of rhythm when you’re on the road and when you’re winning in T20, there’s a bit of an adrenaline rush so it can be hard to get to sleep after games,” he said.
“It doesn’t take a huge toll on your body because you only bowl four overs but all the travelling does get a bit tiresome so I’m pretty confident this break will help us prepare well for the rest of the season.”
The short break will also allow the Sixers time to pause and think about reshaping their team after all-rounder Joe Denly has just left to join the England squad in the Caribbean.
His replacement will be another foreign import but won’t fill Denly’s role as opener so Shipperd is looking at a range of options with the batting line-up.
“All of our young players have the capacity to bat in the top two or the top three but it’s just about finding the right combinations,” Shipperd said.
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Originally published as Sixers to reap the rewards after undergoing gruelling travel schedule
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