ADELAIDE: Graeme Swann is looking forward to bowling long stints to lead England to an important win against Australia on the final day of the second Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval on Tuesday.
The top-rated Nottinghamshire off-spinner looked threatening on Monday on the deteriorating Adelaide pitch, taking the big wickets of Ricky Ponting and Simon Katich in a marathon 34 overs from the Cathedral end.
But it was part-time spinner Kevin Pietersen who sent Australia's hopes of surviving for a draw plunging when he dismissed Michael Clarke for 80 in the day's final over to leave Australia still 137 runs adrift and a day to hang on.
"It is sod's law but I love sod's law sometimes," Swann said.
"Sometimes a bit of inspiration just works in your favour. It was one of those sessions where I felt the world was against me.
"Sometimes the best captains in the world are the ones who just say 'take a break, mate.'
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed to be taken off but it's great when Kev (Pietersen) can come on and do that.
"Personally, I couldn't give a monkey's who takes the wickets, I'm so glad KP got that one in the last over. Clarke's their best player of spin and to get him out like that was magic."
Swann said he was prepared to bowl another long spell to put the Ashes holders one Test up with three matches to play.
"It's my job as a spinner. If you're the only spinner in the team on the last day it's going to fall to you to bowl from one end and take as many wickets as you can," he said.
Swann, who said he bowled "dreadful" in last week's Brisbane Test, when he took 2-161, enjoyed a more conducive pitch in Adelaide.
He said Pietersen had told him when he came off the ground after scoring his Test best 227 early Monday: "It's turning square out there, it's impossible to bat."
"It was very satisfying. The ball felt great coming out of my hand today," Swann said.
"It wasn't a very enjoyable last session after the rain because the ball gets wet and my fingers get sore, but that's one of the beauties of being a spinner, you have to put up with that.
"Very pleasing on the whole for the day. In an ideal world we probably would have them eight or nine down but it's not an ideal world and we're facing a very resilient Australian team."
Swann said Michael Hussey would be the key wicket if England were to go to the third Perth Test leading the series.
"He's a very important player. Obviously he's in a rich vein of form at the moment," he said.
"He's a massive wicket for us tomorrow. He's a guy who can hang around and bat for days, I know that, I've had first-hand experience at Northampton.
"But we've opened one end up which is important. We've got Marcus North coming in, there's a lot of pressure on him now and then we're only a couple of balls away from the bowlers so we'll be very confident going in tomorrow.
The top-rated Nottinghamshire off-spinner looked threatening on Monday on the deteriorating Adelaide pitch, taking the big wickets of Ricky Ponting and Simon Katich in a marathon 34 overs from the Cathedral end.
But it was part-time spinner Kevin Pietersen who sent Australia's hopes of surviving for a draw plunging when he dismissed Michael Clarke for 80 in the day's final over to leave Australia still 137 runs adrift and a day to hang on.
"It is sod's law but I love sod's law sometimes," Swann said.
"Sometimes a bit of inspiration just works in your favour. It was one of those sessions where I felt the world was against me.
"Sometimes the best captains in the world are the ones who just say 'take a break, mate.'
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed to be taken off but it's great when Kev (Pietersen) can come on and do that.
"Personally, I couldn't give a monkey's who takes the wickets, I'm so glad KP got that one in the last over. Clarke's their best player of spin and to get him out like that was magic."
Swann said he was prepared to bowl another long spell to put the Ashes holders one Test up with three matches to play.
"It's my job as a spinner. If you're the only spinner in the team on the last day it's going to fall to you to bowl from one end and take as many wickets as you can," he said.
Swann, who said he bowled "dreadful" in last week's Brisbane Test, when he took 2-161, enjoyed a more conducive pitch in Adelaide.
He said Pietersen had told him when he came off the ground after scoring his Test best 227 early Monday: "It's turning square out there, it's impossible to bat."
"It was very satisfying. The ball felt great coming out of my hand today," Swann said.
"It wasn't a very enjoyable last session after the rain because the ball gets wet and my fingers get sore, but that's one of the beauties of being a spinner, you have to put up with that.
"Very pleasing on the whole for the day. In an ideal world we probably would have them eight or nine down but it's not an ideal world and we're facing a very resilient Australian team."
Swann said Michael Hussey would be the key wicket if England were to go to the third Perth Test leading the series.
"He's a very important player. Obviously he's in a rich vein of form at the moment," he said.
"He's a massive wicket for us tomorrow. He's a guy who can hang around and bat for days, I know that, I've had first-hand experience at Northampton.
"But we've opened one end up which is important. We've got Marcus North coming in, there's a lot of pressure on him now and then we're only a couple of balls away from the bowlers so we'll be very confident going in tomorrow.
