McGrath looks to bounce back to form against West Indies

01 Nov, 2005

Australian pace spearhead Glenn McGrath is looking to return to normal service against the West Indies after the frustrations of a losing Ashes campaign in England.
McGrath, the third all-time Test wicket-taker with 521, endured a frustrating series against England last month with injury restricting him to three of the five Ashes Tests.
The 35-year-old paceman is looking to bowl his way back into form, starting with the West Indies in the first of three Tests starting at the Gabba here on Thursday.
The world's most successful Test fast bowler claimed match figures of 9-82 in the winning first Lord's Test.
But when he damaged ankle ligaments stepping inadvertently on a cricket ball in a warm-up drill just before the start of the second Test at Edgbaston, the odds swung back England's way.
McGrath returned for the third Test but an elbow injury kept him out of the fourth match which England won on their way to an historic 2-1 series triumph.
"For me, the Ashes tour was quite frustrating," McGrath said here Monday.
"I look back to that first Test at Lord's and that's as good as I've gone really for a long, long time.
"So I guess my goal really is basically to get back into that sort of form this summer."
McGrath, who can recall each wicket he has taken in his 113 Tests, is poised to capture his 100th Test wicket against the West Indies - he has 97 against the Caribbean tourists.
McGrath became the greatest wicket-taking fast bowler in Test cricket during this month's Super Test in Sydney against the World XI to overtake West Indian paceman Courtney Walsh. McGrath, who had tipped Australia to win the Ashes 5-0, made no outlandish predictions Monday. He said only: "I've never felt better."

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