Cricket: Lee's short stuff to tail-end just fine with us: McGrath

SYDNEY - Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath has weighed into the debate over Brett Lee's so-called intimidatory bowling, backing his team-mate's tactics.

Australia's most successful fast bowler said in a newspaper column yesterday that Lee was within his rights to bowl short-pitched balls at the South African tailenders during the first test in Adelaide.

"If [South African tailender] Nantie Hayward can't bat or is worried about getting hurt, here's what South Africa should do ... declare at nine down," McGrath said in the Sunday Telegraph.

McGrath said the negative headlines over Lee's bowling were unwarranted and he said he would adopt identical tactics.

"If I was bowling that over and saw Hayward back away, I would have done exactly the same thing," he said of a short wide ball which followed Hayward as he tried to dodge one of Lee's bullets.

"If a bloke doesn't want to get in behind the ball, then it's fair enough that he cops a couple."

He said if Hayward stood up and faced the bowling "we'd respect him a lot more and there would be nothing said".

McGrath said Lee was following a team plan and Australia wouldn't be changing their tactics for the remaining two tests.

"The rules allow two bouncers per over and if you start bowling three or four and turning it into constant intimidatory bowling, that's when the umpires will step in."

McGrath also thought South Africa had little self-belief after the 246-run loss in Adelaide.

"I still maintain they don't believe they can beat us," he said.

* India clinched the home series against England 1-0 when rain washed out the final day's play in the third test in Bangalore last night.

The test ended in a draw without a ball being bowled yesterday.

Heavy overnight rain left the outfield at Chinnaswamy Stadium wet and slippery, forcing umpires Avi Jayaprakash and Asoka De Silva to abandon the match.

More than 10 hours of play was lost due to bad weather on the first four days, frustrating England's hopes of squaring the series.

When play ended on the fourth day, England were 131 runs ahead with all 10 second innings wickets standing.

India won the first test at Mohali by 10 wickets while the second at Ahmedabad ended in a draw.

England leave for home for a Christmas break and return to India on January 12 for a series of six one-day internationals.

- Agencies