I don't want a new ball when I am bowling in the subcontinent. I want an old ball that can't get hit out of the ground. I want a ball that when I bowl doesn't have true bounce, so that the batsman can't hit it.
I agree the Kookaburra ball takes a longer time to reverse than the SG.
Bowling in sub-continental conditions is not easy for a fast bowler. You have to be consistent and persistent to succeed, especially when you are bowling to the likes of Sangakkara, Mahela, Samaraweera, and Dilshan.
That is one of the great things about Test cricket, the ball. Sometimes it swings conventionally, sometimes it doesn't and sometimes it reverses.
Reverse swing is a great asset if it happens.
It's true that I have got wickets with the new ball in Test matches, but that doesn't mean that I can't bowl with the old ball.
I was away from the game for a few years, and it feels good to be back. I'm bowling quite well and also getting the ball to reverse swing. During the time off, I worked a lot on getting the ball to reverse swing; now it's working well for me.
We want to swing the ball as much as we can. We try and get it to reverse, putting more sweat on one side and things like that. But we don't cheat.
