India Humming as Australia's Engine Falters Again

On reflection, everything that Australia wanted to happen leading up to the start of the 3rd ODI in this series went according to plan. Aaron Finch was declared fit to take his place and came in for Hilton Cartwright at the top of the order. Matthew Wade’s horror 2017 was called out again as he made way for part time keeper but more credentialed batsman Peter Handscomb. And for the first time this series, Australia got the chance to bat first and set a target that India would be unable to chase down. And India still won. Comfortably. It says much about the preparation and current status of the two teams.

Steve Smith has spoken often in recent times about the collapse or non-performance of parts of the Australian batting order. He wanted it to stop, or at least be rectified. One guesses that he will be disappointed again in his team’s finishing in this match. Between Dave Warner’s 42 (off 44 balls), his own 63 (71 balls) and Finch’s timely century on return to the team (124 off 125 balls), the top of the order had more or less done its job. Smith’s dismissal in the 42nd over left Australia 3/243 with 8 overs remaining, and the hope that the middle order could accelerate the total beyond 300. But it was not to be. Wickets fell consistently, meaning each new batsman had to try and get moving with no time to play themselves in. Maxwell (5 off 13), Head (4 off 6) and Handscomb (3 off 7) all fell, while Stoinis managed 26 not out from 27 deliveries. Only three boundaries came from the final eleven overs as India tightened the screws. Instead of posting a total around 320-330 which should have been a given with 12 overs to go when the score was 2/224, Australia only managed to add 69 runs in that time. They finished at 6/293, and it never looked enough.

India cruised. They barely got out of second gear. With their bowlers having done all the hard work in the last twenty overs of Australia’s innings, India’s batsmen could play with freedom knowing that the total was within them. The opening partnership of 139 from 21 overs pretty much put the match to bed. Even at 4/206 they were in front given they had 15 overs to score the required 88 runs, a doddle in modern day ODI’s. With Pandya, Pandey and Dhoni all hovering in the middle order for India they just don’t ever seem to be under pressure at the end of an innings, whether setting a target or chasing it down. On hard surfaces with small boundaries it must be difficult to find a way to either dismiss them or to tie them down. Especially here at home, the Indian team has the engine humming. Winning here by five wickets with more than two overs to spare showed up Australia’s deficient score. Had they made the 330 they should have they may still have lost, but it would really have gone down to the wire rather than the plodding victory it was.

India has now won all three matches, the first despite a shortened run chase for Australia due to rain, the second by setting a score and restricting Australia to less, and now by holding Australia to an average total and then chasing it down with ease. They have dominated all three games, and from here it would be a surprise if the selected and available Australian squad can win either of the two remaining matches. Surely both Faulkner and Zampa will get another chance now that the series is decided, and one suspects Wade will be returned the gloves in an effort to boost his confidence heading into the Australian summer. His position for November must seriously be questioned at this point nonetheless.

Australia has been outplayed, though with obvious absences especially in what would be considered a full strength bowling attack. Australia’s batting remains the problem, and should be the main talking point for selectors when they come to look at the ODI’s in Australia in January. At that time the next World Cup will be 18 months away, and they will have to start deciding what the make up of that squad is likely to be, and more problematically what the batting line up will be. If changes need to be made or considered, and the results here suggest they are required, then those changes will have to be made at that time. The next two games could be the most important of some of this teams players careers.

India 2-0 Up as Australian Top Order Crumbles Again

It’s India’s backyard, and they are happy to make sure everyone knows it. There was no long term preparation by the Australians for this ODI series as there was for the Test series six months ago, and the team has come in cold compared to the Indians having been in a constant cricket cycle. So far it has showed, and last night’s loss exacerbated this. There was a massive advantage in batting first in the oppressive heat of the afternoon, with temperatures that rose above 40 degrees. By comparison, the relative cool of the evening gave the Indian bowlers a much better atmosphere in which to do their work. Essentially they again out played Australia and won convincingly against a team that has its firepower missing and its batting line-up in a confusing mess.

In the same series four years ago, both sides scored 300+ with regularity when they went out to bat. Rohit Sharma scored 209 on his own in one match. So far that hasn’t been the case, and Australia’s cobbled-together bowling attack has done the job. Pat Cummins and Nathan Coulter-Nile have been superb, last night Kane Richardson was good and Marcus Stoinis has done the job of a good all-rounder. The spinners role on good wickets and small grounds has been thankless so far for Australia, though both Zampa and Agar would no doubt like a crack at bowling second on a wearing wicket. Keeping India to 252 when they appeared ready to mount a challenge at 3/186 off 35 overs was a superb effort. One that was unfortunately not matched by the batsmen. Kumar for India was magnificent, 6 overs taking 3/9 and ripping out both Australian openers was exactly what India wanted. Smith, Head and Maxwell tried to rebuild, but the damage was done each time a real partnership threatened. Smith’s dismissal at 5/138 was the end of any real chance, and a hat-trick from Kuldeep involving Wade, Agar and Cummins sealed the deal. Only Stoinis again could hold his head high, his innings of 62 not out off 65 balls holding the tail together being another important moment for him, not only in securing his place as the all-rounder in the ODI team, but in pushing his case for a Test spot at number 6 as the seam bowling all-rounder, possibly as early as in Brisbane in two months’ time. Australia’s demise for 202 was more than they deserved at 8/148.

Hilton Cartwright is being given plenty of international cricket away from the spotlight of the Australian media and public who are more interested in footy finals in September than ODI’s in India, whose only purpose is as a money spinner for Indian cricket. His dual failures at the top of the Australian order in the first two games will more or less go unnoticed by people in Australia, which is pretty much what the selectors want. By pumping game time into him away from home they are hoping that the experience he gains will be of benefit down the track when they bring him into the team for a fulltime shot at an all-rounders position. All of this seems unusual given that neither he nor Glenn Maxwell are being used at the bowling crease, nor indeed is Travis Head.

If these games actually meant anything, then surely as soon as Aaron Finch was injured they would have called for Usman Khawaja to replace him at the top of the order. And what the hell happened to Sam Haezlett who went to New Zealand in February and has disappeared again? Moises Henriques got two bats in the Champions Trophy, looked good until dismissed in both, and is discarded. Peter Handscomb HAS been brought over, and was still on the bench last night. The whole scenario appears a bit farcical. Are we seriously looking at the World Cup in two years’ time? Will a 5-0 drubbing in India be seen as acceptable because we’ll have had a look at our cricketers with a long term view of the future? The captain has only used five main bowlers in the two games so far, for the most part ignoring the bowling ability of Cartwright, Maxwell and Head. If this is the case, are these three mentioned good enough to hold their positions in the top five of Australia’s batting order? In the case of Travis Head, the answer is certainly yes. The other two? Well, would the top six for Australia look better as Warner, Khawaja, Smith, Handscomb, Head and Stoinis? Surely, unequivocally, the answer is yes.

Important or not, lacking meaning or not, coming home with a 5-0 defeat in this ODI series will deal Australia some serious damage coming into the home summer. In 2013 India won the seven match series 3-2 with two games abandoned, but Australia’s fight in that series gave it the confidence and form it needed leading into the Ashes series, which they then won 5-0. Mitchell Johnson and George Bailey forced their way into the Test team through their performances in that series, and we know how important their contributions were. Unless this team can fight back and find a way to win in an uninspiring ODI series, what would that result mean for the fight to regain the one trophy that Australians really care about.

Same Frailties Haunt Australia in Loss to India in 1st ODI

Having the opening ODI between India and Australia reduced to what was essentially a T20 chase for the Australian team after rain had almost washed the game out was never going to be an advantage for the visiting team, but the game had been lost by them long before it arrived after yet another superlative start was taken away from them by yet another middle order recovery. Which once again raises the spectre of what the Australian team has to do to close down these recoveries, and also forge one of their own in similar circumstances.

For Australia, the start couldn’t have been better. A fit-again-for-the-moment return for Nathan Coulter-Nile brought a wonderful burst of three wickets in seven deliveries, taking out Rahane (5), Kohli (0) and Pandey (0) to leave the hosts at 3/11. The mix of pace and swing and the willingness of the Indian batsmen to go hard at wide deliveries brought about their downfall. Even the recovery that followed was held in check, and when Marcus Stoinis underlined his increasing value to the team by snaring both the set batsmen, India was in trouble at 5/87 in the 22nd over, and should have been set up to be dismissed for around 200. Unfortunately, as has been a constant hiccup in Australia’s fortunes during 2017, the bowlers were unable to close out the innings and the middle order managed to firstly stabilise the innings and then tear it apart. Old and new combined in Pandya (83 off 66) smashing previously solid bowling all over the park, while Dhoni (79 from 88) played circumspectly. Finishing off with Kumar (32 not out), India to the delight of their supporters scored 2/194 off the remaining 28 overs and clocked in their fifty overs at 7/281 on a wicket that was skidding and staying low. It was somewhat surprising that only five bowlers were used by Australia, leaving Maxwell, Head and debutant Hilton Cartwright without an over. Perhaps it was a tactic to ensure the five front liners all got over under their belt, but as the final two partnerships developed it seemed a little strange not to try one of them as an option.

The rain came during the break, and by the time the ground staff had ensured the match would continue Australia had been left with a target of 164 off 21 overs, a tough enough ask in a normal T20 match of which Australia is not the best exponent. With the way the wicket was playing 282 would have been tough enough to chase off fifty overs, but the T20 scenario played right in to India’s hands. The mixture of spin and off-speed mediums by the Indians proved far too much for Australians who have been mostly dormant since the IPL. Warner (25), Maxwell (39) and the recalled James Faulkner (32 not out) were the only double figure scores, and they eventually fell to a 26 run D/L Method loss.

It will be interesting to see if Australia uses any other options for the second game. Peter Handscomb has been called into the squad to cover for the injured Aaron Finch, and could surely be brought in for Cartwright, allowing Travis Head to return to the top of the order. This would strengthen the batting, while also offering Ashton Agar a slot in the lower order would also improve the power. If the all-rounders are going to start at number 5 then there is a lot of pressure on that top four to make runs, while the bowlers need to find a way to stop the rot that is allowing opposing middle orders to recover time and time again.