Patient Bollinger grabbing his chance

Patient Bollinger grabbing his chance

Doug Bollinger is desperate to prove himself as international cricketer after stepping in to Australia's injury-depleted attack in India. And Bollinger made a good start, grabbing 3 for 38 in Monday's ODI in Mohali to help Australia level the series with a 24-run victory.

Bollinger has had to show immense patience over the past couple of years after going on Australia's Test tours of the West Indies, India and South Africa without breaking into the team. His only Test was against South Africa at the SCG this year and before this tour, three ODIs in the UAE completed the list of his games for Australia.

But a run of injuries to Australia's key fast men has given Bollinger an opportunity in India, and he intends to make the most of it. The squad began without Nathan Bracken and then lost Brett Lee and James Hopes mid-series, which meant Bollinger has had to step up over the past two games.
"Nobody wants to see anyone injured, especially Brett who's got 300 Test wickets and 300 one-day wickets ... but someone's injury is someone's opportunity," Bollinger told AAP. "I wish him all the best but I've tried to put my best foot forward and say 'this is my time', and I've tried to grab it as much as I can to try and make my own way through."

Bollinger bowled tightly in Delhi, where his ten overs cost 26 runs, and his three wickets in Mohali have helped make him a key member of the attack for the remainder of the series. It helped that he was already accustomed to the Indian conditions after playing for New South Wales in the Champions League Twenty20.

"The Champions League was a great stepping stone to this tournament because I'd bowled a bit over in Delhi and Hyderabad," he said. "I'm fit and well at the moment and I think I'm starting to climb a bit higher with my confidence in international cricket, and just in cricket in general."