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How the once mighty Australians have fallen in Test arena! They were on top of Test cricket for over a decade from mid-1990s to mid-2000s.
Now they have to win the Test series in Sri Lanka, starting tomorrow, to have a chance to wriggle back to the number four position in Test cricket.
How will they go?
The highlights of their only first-class match on the tour in Sri Lanka are centuries by skipper Michael Clarke and Usman Khawaja, the latter’s 153-run opening partnership with Phil Hughes (76), and a five-wicket haul by New South Wales fast bowler, Trent Copeland.
But the Sri Lanka Board XI had none of the stars, which make the country so strong. No Mahela Jayawardene, no Kumar Sangakkara, no Tillakaratne Dilshan, no Lasith Malinga.
Relieved of captaincy, Ricky Ponting batted with more composure in the one-day internationals against the 2011 World Cup finalist.
And the additional burden of captaincy seems to bring out the best from Michael Clarke.
Who will play for Australia in the Galle Test?
Shane Watson is a certainty and will open the batting with the talented but inconsistent Hughes.
Ponting will bat at three, followed by Clarke at four, and Michael Hussey at five.
The number six position will cause headaches for the selectors: will it be ‘Uzie’ Khawaja or Shaun Marsh? I would go for the younger Khawaja.
Brad Haddin will keep wickets and go in at number seven. He averages 39.68 with the bat and has hit three Test centuries with 169 as his highest.
Bowling is more problematic.
Although inconsistent, Mitchell Johnson would take the new ball.
A match-winner with his 155 kph pace, he can score brisk runs as well, with a Test century under his belt. But his waywardness in bowling creates problems. Ryan Harris will share the new ball with him.
Copeland deserves to make his Test debut after his fine showing against the Sri Lanka Board XI last week. All-rounder Watson will assist the quickies with his medium-pace and skipper Clarke with his left-arm spin.
Now only one place is left and must go to a spinner. But who will it be, Michael Beer or Nathan Lyon?
To quote skipper Clarke: “They are completely different bowlers. Nathan bowls with a lot more loop and Michael Beer bowls a bit faster and gets it into the wickets a lot faster.”
I leave the final choice to Clarkey. He may have to toss a coin to decide who to pick.
The Warne-Muralitharan Trophy is in balance. Sri Lanka has the home advantage and their spinners are superior to Australia’s.
This may swing the series as the Sri Lankan pitches have the reputation of being spinner-friendly.
But Australia’s record is superior to their opponents’ on Sri Lankan soil. They have won five of the 10 Tests played there and lost only one.
The big worry, however, is Australia’s poor form in 2011. Not one Australian is included in the ICC Test team of the Year.
Here is the XI in batting order which includes five Englishmen and four South Africans:
Alastair Cook (Eng), Hashim Amla (SAf), Jonathan Trott (Eng), Sachin Tendulkar (Ind), Kumar Sangakkara (SL), AB de Villiers (SAf), Jacques Kallis (SAf), Stuart Broad (Eng), Graeme Swann (Eng), Dale Steyn (SAf) and Jimmy Anderson (Eng). 12th man: Zaheer Khan (Ind).
Sangakkara will captain the side and keep wickets.
In my opinion, Watson and India’s Rahul Dravid were unlucky to miss out.
This is the lowest Australia has sunk in two decades. A win in the Test series in Sri Lanka may herald a new era in Australian cricket.