Adelaide, Jan 26 (IBNS)  Australian fast bowler Peter Siddle, who picked up a fifer here Thursday, said hardwork in the last six seven months have finally paid off for him this summer.

 

"The hard work I've put in in the last six or seven months, this summer it's just all come together. 

 

"That's just the work I've put in personally on the fitness and strength side side of things and then the work with Billy [McDermott] to get where I am. It's paying off, I'm not getting too overawed with what I had done earlier in the summer, and just keep working hard," said Siddle.

 

Siddle said team mate Ben Hilfenhaus kept him reminding that the five-wicket haul was round the corner.

 

"Billy kept saying to me the haul was around the corner, around the corner. He's been saying that for a few matches now but to finally get it here is very pleasing and I'm obviously grateful for all the people that have helped me to get here," he said.

 

Siddle also shot back at India opener Gautam Gambhir, who has accused the Australian's of doctoring pitches to suit fast bowlers.

 

"I guess Gambhir thought I'd had the luck of the green wickets, but I guess there wasn't much bounce in this wicket today and it seemed to get him out, so it was a nice little reward on a wicket that's pretty hard to bowl on," Siddle said. 

 

"It's probably one of my better ones I think, all summer my goal has been patience and consistency and I think I've been doing that and going pretty well. But today it was a bit of a relief to get that haul and a reward for a summer that had been pretty good. It is a good little reward for that," he said.

 

Siddle thanked Hilfenhaus and Ryan Harris for keeping the pressure on India.

 

"Ben and Ryan this morning bowled superbly, they bowled great partnerships, back-to-back maidens, and they just built the pressure up," Siddle said. 

 

"I've been pretty lucky this summer I've been on the back-end of a lot of that. I have been lucky to come on in the first over and get the wicket because the change has caught the batsman and I've got the wicket.

 

"The pressure we built up again today and the way we bowled together as a unit just shows the patience we're using and someone's lucky enough to get the rewards and at the end of the day it was me."