IMAGE: After taking four wickets, Adam Zampa revealed he was battling spasms again. {Photography}: ICC/X
Leg-spinner Adam Zampa on Monday revealed that he has been suffering from back spasms in recent days, but that did not apply to his way of producing a match-winning effort against Sri Lanka at the World Cup in Lucknow.
Zampa, 31, was adjudged Participant of the Match after posting spectacular figures of 8-1-47-4 as Australia registered their first victory of the ongoing match.
“To be honest, I didn’t feel good because I had a little spasm in my back. I took advantage of it these last few days. At that moment I felt better, I played better today,” Zampa said after the match.
“Personally, in my best and last match, I didn’t really feel like I could have done better. My job in this team is to take wickets in the middle order. I didn’t really try this last game and put pressure on the dying bowlers.
“Today I feel better, but I’m happy to come out on the winning side today. It took me a while to get into the game, I just had to maintain that wicket-taking angle no matter if I lose a few runs.
Australia had lost to India and South Africa in their first two matches and skipper Pat Cummins was a satisfied man as his team ticked all the boxes against Sri Lanka.
“Yeah, I’m happy for now. It was very likely that nothing was said and it was just following two defeats… The energy in the topic was good to begin with and everything else flowed.
Sri Lanka were solid at one stage with openers Pathum Nissanka (61) and Kusal Perera (78) including 125 runs in 22 overs, but they suffered a collapse, losing 9 wickets for 53 runs.
“Again, they started really well, but the way all the bowlers came in, hit the wicket and did their job, it was a crucial effort. I can’t learn these wickets. About 300 [would’ve been par] maybe,” Cummins said.
“The outside noise doesn’t bother us too much. I hope so, all the elements of the game came together…
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