Dawn of a golden new era for Australian cricket
Columnist By Kersi Meher-Homji, 19 Jan 2012 Kersi Meher-Homji is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- Australian Cricket, Cricket, india cricket, Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Ricky Ponting, Test cricket
There are appeals upcoming Australian crickters like Patrick Cummins are being let down by the Big Bash competition (AAP Image/Dale Cumming)
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Youth and experience have struck gold for Australian cricket in the last few months. The young brigade has contributed substantially to Australia making rapid strides in Test cricket, starting with regaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on Sunday.
From Trent Copeland, Nathan Lyon and Shaun Marsh in Sri Lanka, to Pat Cummins in South Africa, to David Warner, Ed Cowan, James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc in Australia, the youth have inspired their team.
Not that the veterans have been far behind in lifting Australian cricket from near bottom to almost the top. Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey batted Australia from a possible defeat to a morale-boosting win in the Boxing Day Test last month.
Then skipper Michael Clarke became the only triple centurion in a Sydney Test, as he, Ponting and Hussey produced runs like a smashed water hydrant in Sydney. The experienced quick bowlers, in Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus, and Ryan Harris, have combined with their young counterparts to grind India’s famed batting to dust in the series.
Clarke (329 not out) outscored India (191) in the first innings in the Sydney Test, and Warner (180) outscored India (161 and 171) in both innings in the Perth Test.
Now to run-domination of an extraordinary level. If you combine consecutive Sydney and Perth Test innings, from the point where Australia was 3/37 in Sydney, they then lost only one further wicket until Ed Cowan was bowled in Perth last Saturday. In the interim, the team scored 836 runs.
And from when Ponting was dismissed in Sydney to when Cowan was bowled in Perth, Australia did not lose a single wicket while amassing 548 runs.
Hussey is the only batsman in the world to average over 50 in Tests, ODIs and first-class matches; averaging 51.40 in 69 Tests, 51.17 in 166 ODIs and 52.54 in 257 first-class matches.
Going by form, Australia can whitewash India 4-0 in Adelaide next week unless the visitors’ famed batting line-up finally fires in unison.
And where oh where have their spinners disappeared to? Trace the line from Vinoo Mankad, Subash Gupte, Ghulam Ahmed, Bishan Bedi, BS Chandrasekhar, EAS Prasanna, Srini Venkataraghavan, to Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh. And now?
India fielding a side without a spinner is akin to Sydney without the harbour or India without the Taj or David Boon and Merv Hughes without their moustaches.
Is this the dawn of a new golden era for Australia?
They have won three Tests in a row, and with the seven-run loss to New Zealand at Hobart last month the only blemish, have won five or their last six Tests.
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January 19th 2012 @ 7:50am
Vas Venkatramani said | January 19th 2012 @ 7:50am | Report comment
Kersi, I am more excited than confident about this team.
I’m excited because this team looks like they will look to attack their way out of trouble, yet will still recognise the responsibility on their shoulders to ensure they aren’t rash. Under Clarke’s leadership, we look enterprising.
I’m not yet confident because I firmly believe the truest sign of our strength will come on overseas assignments. It’s all good for various sections of the media to lambast India as home town tigers. Last thing I want is the same tag to be attached to us.
It’s critical we can string Test wins away from home as well and really send a signal to the likes of England and South Africa (the only two teams I believe are superior to us) that we won’t be cowed and it will take great cricket to beat us.
But that’s why I’m excited, because the guy everyone thought was selfish, wasn’t a leader and wasn’t passionate about his country has proven to be the exact opposite of all those tags. I’m grateful to Michael Clarke and how he is swung our fortunes around, both as batsman and captain.
January 19th 2012 @ 8:28am
Jason said | January 19th 2012 @ 8:28am | Report comment
I am not at all confident about the medium term future of our batting line up. Warner still needs to prove consistency, Cowan is at the edge of his ability I think, Marsh or Usman have failed to live up to the hype at 3, Ponting may wel. Be playing his last test next week and in any case is a shadow of what he used to be, ditto Hussey and Clake is wildly inconsistent. Hardin, of course, has failed to contribute with the bat fr a while now.
January 19th 2012 @ 8:34am
Red Kev said | January 19th 2012 @ 8:34am | Report comment
You can’t herald a new golden age when two stalwarts of the last golden age (namely Ponting and Hussey) are still around. Until their replacements are entrenched in the team (at the moment Marsh, Khawaja and Hughes seem to be the likely front-runners) alongside Warner, Cowan, Clarke and Watson then all such talk is nonsense.
Of course for the replacements to flourish the old guard must move on and they show no signs of doing so. The announcement of the West Indian tour squad will be the real indicator of the selectors’ intent and the direction of Australian Cricket, if both Ponting and Hussey are in that squad then they have no intention of moving forward in search of the new golden age, rather they will be stubbornly clinging to the dregs of the old one. (Perhaps even more telling will be the presence of Haddin – if he’s there it will show the selectors are just plain incompetent).
That said I too am excited about the prospects and potential for this team. But it is still potential. Vas is correct – India in India and England in England will be true indicators of how well Australian cricket is progressing.
January 19th 2012 @ 9:05am
Chris said | January 19th 2012 @ 9:05am | Report comment
Red Kev – the headline said dawn, not the full midday sun. While I agree with you that Ponting, Haddin and Hussey will need to go ASAP for the good of Australian cricket, the team that is now playing is VERY different to the one even a year ago. And that is a good thing and is indicative of a generational change. We simply haven’t completed the change yet.
January 19th 2012 @ 9:23am
Sean said | January 19th 2012 @ 9:23am | Report comment
I wouldn’t say VERY different personel wise, but we have more depth now and players have rediscovered form.
IMO, Haddin should be playing is last test in Adelaide and I would also like Hussey or Ponting or both to announce a date for retirement, preferably sooner rather than later!
MCG test v England 12 months ago
SR Watson
PJ Hughes
RT Ponting*
MJ Clarke
MEK Hussey
SPD Smith
BJ Haddin
MG Johnson
RJ Harris
PM Siddle
BW Hilfenhaus
WACA test v India 1 week ago
EJM Cowan
DA Warner
SE Marsh
RT Ponting
MJ Clarke*
MEK Hussey
BJ Haddin
PM Siddle
RJ Harris
MA Starc
BW Hilfenhaus
January 19th 2012 @ 9:42am
jameswm said | January 19th 2012 @ 9:42am | Report comment
Interesting Sean.
Bowling change was one Mitchell for another. Batting wise marsh for Smith, and Warner/Cowan for Hughes/Watto. Watto really the only one we’d miss from the team that played England.
And remember that bowling lineup cleaned up England there a year ago.
January 19th 2012 @ 10:13am
Sean said | January 19th 2012 @ 10:13am | Report comment
Yep, personally I never want to see Mitchell Johnson in a Baggy Green ever agian! EVER!
I think Watto needs to come back into the side, I think he gives the team good balance when we have a spinner as the 4th bowler!
January 19th 2012 @ 10:22am
jameswm said | January 19th 2012 @ 10:22am | Report comment
You mean the 4th medium pacer? I agree, and he’s a very solid bat.
I’d much prefer the look of our batting lineup with Watto at 6 and Wade/Nevill at 7. Solid reliable middle order guys who are hard to get out, but can also push the pace if needed. I think Watto would go very well without the new ball to worry about.
January 19th 2012 @ 9:52am
Disco said | January 19th 2012 @ 9:52am | Report comment
Well said.
January 19th 2012 @ 9:32am
jameswm said | January 19th 2012 @ 9:32am | Report comment
Once our batting lineup stabilises, we can really start pushing on. Two unusually poor batting efforts (NZ in Hobart and the 47 in SA) have cost us winning our last 7 tests on the trot, including away in SA and against the no.2 and 3 ranked teams.
I don’t know what the answer is with our batting, but if a keeper can keep as well or better than Haddin and score more runs consistently (and there are two fit ones who fit this criteria), then surely a proper no.7 would help. Look what Siddle’s done to the batting lineup at 8, further proof of his character and why he is needed around this team.
I like us in the field. Our bowling and captaincy have improved a lot since Punter stood down (or was pushed), though there is still room for improvement. Siddle still has bouts of being too short and wide, Hilfy needs to bowl more straight ones (variety), Pattinson needs to work on his first spell, Harris needs to make them play more early on, and Lyon is still a work in progress. Still, they’re going pretty well regardless, and as long as there is continued improvement, I’m happy.
Clarke is a good on-field captain though. He chucks guys into the right position a lot of the time (eg leg gullies for a quick if he sees a chance of their hip, or even a leg gully for Lyon if one bounces or turns a bit), and has a feel and understanding of how to get people out. Punter never had this, which you can also see by how (stubbornly) he bats, or used to. He’s come to accept that he isn’t what he was and start with more circumspection, but ironically only since Clarke took over as skipper. Did Clarke have a few quiet words about how to start his innings, or has losing the captaincy made Punter more humble and able to admit his mortality?
So right now, I think we change the keeper, bring Watto back, and I wouldn’t take Punter to the WI. Let’s look at how the rest of the Shield goes, but Khawaja and Marsh look like obvious future 3-6 batsmen. Marsh and Khawaja vie for no.3 (and Khawaja could open if Cowan dropped form), and we lock in Hussey, Clarke and Watto at 4-5-6 for a year. Clarke really should bat 4 as captain, but if averages 5-10 more at 5, then leave him there I guess, though I don’t really see the difference. Then either Marsh/Khawaja takes Hussey’s spot at 4, or someone else if they’ve forced the selectors’ hand through weight of runs.
The bowlers continue to rotate depending n who is fit and on form, because all 5 of Patto, Harris, Hilfy, Siddle and Cummins are good test bowlers right now, with Starc as an important project. Look how often he takes wickets in clusters.
January 19th 2012 @ 9:56am
Disco said | January 19th 2012 @ 9:56am | Report comment
I agree with you on the make-up of Windies tour squad but I’m not convinced by Marsh as a long-term Test player. In addition to Khawaja, I think other middle-order alternatives need to be found.
January 19th 2012 @ 10:04am
Brett McKay said | January 19th 2012 @ 10:04am | Report comment
so who’s your tip, Disco? Cooper, Forrest? Bailey??
January 19th 2012 @ 10:18am
Red Kev said | January 19th 2012 @ 10:18am | Report comment
Khawaja, Cooper, Lynn and Maddinson – to fill the 2 spots vacated by Ponting and Hussey.
I assume Marsh won’t be around long and Watson will return.
January 19th 2012 @ 10:20am
jameswm said | January 19th 2012 @ 10:20am | Report comment
Not Forrest – I don’t think he’ll have sustained good form. Bailey too old now – must be 30 odd.
My tips are Cooper, Burns and Maddinson, and possibly Lynne. One or two of that group.
If anyone wanted convincing that it was time for Haddin to go, they only needed to watch the Sixers’ big bash game last night. The biggest shame is Haddin’s presence meant one of the Sixers’ most consistent players, Peter Nevill, was on the pine.
January 19th 2012 @ 3:43pm
Disco said | January 19th 2012 @ 3:43pm | Report comment
I guess it depends who cements a spot at 3. IF it were to be Khawaja, and IF Watson’s slots in at four with Clarke at 5, then I guess No.6 would suit whoever of the younger middle-order batsman strings a good run together – Lynn, Cooper or Burns perhaps, though Bailey is an interesting proposition and I wonder whether Faulkner could bat that high? Isn’t Maddinson more of an opener? I’m not sure whether Forrest is Test class though he was doing well for NSW when he first came on the scene and has slotted in well up north, so he’s in with a shout. The selectors probably still have Ferguson on their radar though he’s not really done it at first-class level. Cosgrove did well last season.
January 19th 2012 @ 4:32pm
Brett McKay said | January 19th 2012 @ 4:32pm | Report comment
Maddinson looks to be pretty adaptable by the looks, and I think has batted anywhere from 1-6 for NSW. And he does time the ball well, I’ll give him that.
You mention Faulkner, and perhaps 6 is too high, but I suppose [insert new 'keeper here] could slot up one. Between Faulkner and Mitch Marsh, I think Christian may have come as close to the Test side has he will for the time being..
January 19th 2012 @ 4:47pm
jameswm said | January 19th 2012 @ 4:47pm | Report comment
Nah Brett I think Mitch Marsh has a long way to go. Plays some nice, stylish shots, but that’s it right now. And too up and down with the ball. There’s hope for him there though, as Watson was the same about 2-3 years ago.
I don’t know about Wade, but I certainly think Nevill has what it takes to bat in tests at 6 one day. However, with Watson in the top 6, we already have a not-quite-test-standard medium pacer in the team as a 5th bowler, so we don’t need another as a 6th bowler, at the expense of a productive batsman. Faulkner can only come in if his batting or bowling improves significantly. I like him, he does a bit and shows some guts with the bat picking up valuable runs, but I don’t see a place for him in the team right now.
I’d certainly look at him for the one-dayers though, and some of them improve when exposed to int’l cricket.
January 19th 2012 @ 7:25pm
Brett McKay said | January 19th 2012 @ 7:25pm | Report comment
James it’s a fair comment that there probably isn’t room for Watson and another allrounder, but I was more coming from the point that even if these young guys aren’t quite ready, Christian isn’t a lay-down misere to come in if Watson goes down.
I do agree though, it’d be great to see Faulkner and M.Marsh in ODIs even this summer..
January 19th 2012 @ 5:52pm
Schtumpy said | January 19th 2012 @ 5:52pm | Report comment
I agree completely Disco.
Marsh averages 38 in 68 first class matches.
I’m at a loss as to why he was even considered in the first place.
January 19th 2012 @ 6:17pm
Jason said | January 19th 2012 @ 6:17pm | Report comment
He did average over 50 in his last couple of seasons though.
Clarke barely averaged 40 before his test debut.
January 19th 2012 @ 10:35am
Kersi Meher-Homji said | January 19th 2012 @ 10:35am | Report comment
Red Kev,
I see no reason why Mike Hussey should go. He is batting and fielding well. He is an inspiration who contributed to Australia regaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. But for him Australia could have lost the MCG Test. Also his contribution in the SCG Test was priceless.
January 19th 2012 @ 10:47am
Red Kev said | January 19th 2012 @ 10:47am | Report comment
I didn’t say he should go, I said you can’t call it “the dawn of a new golden era” when two stalwarts (Ponting and Hussey) of the last golden era are still propping up the team.
On the Hussey topic however:
If Watson was fit at the start of the summer I would have retired Hussey with Ponting.
Since he wasn’t I would have retired Ponting and kept Hussey for another year.
Since the selectors did neither – I would retire Ponting before the WI tour, retire Hussey before the India tour.
January 19th 2012 @ 11:06am
jameswm said | January 19th 2012 @ 11:06am | Report comment
I agree Hussey looks to me to batting very well, almost as good as ever, though less consistent. Not the same with Punter though.
January 19th 2012 @ 11:06am
Purple Shag said | January 19th 2012 @ 11:06am | Report comment
Take a breath people. It’s a mountain to climb and we’ve taken one step. Australian cricket needs to ‘Keep Calm & Carry On’, not get swept up in first date jitters. I submitted an article following that premise, but the powers that be at the Roar deemed it too offensive. I thought it was a decent read. Anyway, here it is if you’re interested.
http://therestijustsquandered.com/2012/01/18/keep-calm-and-carry-on/
January 19th 2012 @ 11:18am
Red Kev said | January 19th 2012 @ 11:18am | Report comment
Pretty funny article, but I can see why it got edited
January 19th 2012 @ 2:50pm
peterlala said | January 19th 2012 @ 2:50pm | Report comment
Thoughtful, well-written, easy to read and funny. PS, you ticked a lot of boxes.
January 19th 2012 @ 3:52pm
Disco said | January 19th 2012 @ 3:52pm | Report comment
Indeed.
January 19th 2012 @ 11:55am
Seano said | January 19th 2012 @ 11:55am | Report comment
No mention of how bad haddin is? The writer must be from NSW!
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January 19th 2012 @ 3:43pm
Chaos said | January 19th 2012 @ 3:43pm | Report comment
Did you see his miss last night dropping North? Ouch!
January 19th 2012 @ 3:53pm
Disco said | January 19th 2012 @ 3:53pm | Report comment
Says he is “drained”.
January 19th 2012 @ 5:05pm
Red Kev said | January 19th 2012 @ 5:05pm | Report comment
Of talent?
January 19th 2012 @ 12:01pm
sheek said | January 19th 2012 @ 12:01pm | Report comment
Kersi,
The disappearance of the spinner is not only affecting India, but everybody. However, when India struggles to find a quality spinner, it’s time for everyone to panic.
Do we want a game without spinners? I would hardly think so. But they are surplus to requirements, especially in T20.
The plight of the spinner has been masked while three of the best ever – Muralitharan, Warne & Kumble – were winding down their careers. But now that all 3 are gone, the future of the spinner is quite frightening.
I much preferred test cricket in the 70s. Take 1975 for example. Although South Africa were excluded, you could still follow the deeds of greats like Barry Richards, Graeme Pollock & Mike Procter.
There were other great batsmen in 1975 – the Chappells, Walters, Viv Richards, Lloyd, Greenidge, Rowe, Kallicharran, Boycott, Amiss, Edrich, Greig, Gavaskar, Viswanath, M.Amarnath, Majid Khan, Zaheer Abbas, Mustaq Mohammed, Asif Iqbal, G.Turner, Congdon.
There were great fast bowlers – Lillee, Thomson, Walker, Gilmour, Roberts, Holding, Boyce, Snow, Willis, Imran Khan, Sarfraz nawaz, R.Hadlee, Collinge. There were even excellent keeper-batsmen – Marsh, Murray, Knott, Taylor, Engineer, Kirmani, Wasim Akram, Wadsworth.
But you also still had top-notch spinners – Mallett, Gibbs, Underwood, Bedi, Prasanna, Chandrasekhar, Venkataraghaven, Intikhab Alam, H.Howarth.
Kersi, as I also suggested the previous time – the portents of this Aussie team appear very good. But it is perhaps a tad too early to say so with absolute certainty.
January 19th 2012 @ 1:25pm
Jason said | January 19th 2012 @ 1:25pm | Report comment
Not sure this is right…
“Do we want a game without spinners? I would hardly think so. But they are surplus to requirements, especially in T20.”
Spinners are turning out to be the most useful T20 bowlers because they take the pace off the ball and are more accurate. OK, actual spin is secondary and it is a rubbish grounding for FC cricket but I really don’t see a day when spinners are out of the game. That is even more the case now that chucking/flicking is basically condoned.
January 19th 2012 @ 1:44pm
Jiggles said | January 19th 2012 @ 1:44pm | Report comment
I remember the media and public grumbling that spinning was a dying art a few years back, then a bloke by the name of Shane Warne started playing…
January 19th 2012 @ 2:31pm
sheek said | January 19th 2012 @ 2:31pm | Report comment
Yes Jiggles,
But take Warne, Murali & Kumble away, & the cupboard is bare.
Who’s even looked half-decent for the Aussies since Warne retired? Perhaps Hauritz, & that’s it. Australia must have tried close to a dozen different spinners since Warne retired in 2006/07.
When Warne was at his peak, there must have been thousands of “wannabes”. Where are they now? Most of them probably realised what a difficult art spin bowling was, to master, & weren’t prepared to put in the time.
This is the age of instant gratification…..
Jason,
I stand to be corrected on T20 since I haven’t watched much of it. But realistically, T20 doesn’t lend itself to the spinner. The shine is generally still on the ball, & spinners traditionally require more balls to take wickets than pacemen do. They need to trick batsmen out.
None of the various forms of cricket offer much encouragement to spinners anymore, not even test cricket. The wickets don’t appear designed for spinners anymore, & captains, & even spinners themselves, are losing the art of setting fields to spinners.
And yes, I know the opposite is currently happening in Dubai between Pakistan & England! But that is an exception to the general rule…..
January 19th 2012 @ 3:06pm
Jason said | January 19th 2012 @ 3:06pm | Report comment
Best economy rates for the BBL for bowlers with more than 8 overs…
Player Mat Overs Econ
GB Hogg 7 26 5.57
(Perth Scorchers)
LA Doran 7 21 6.04
(Sydney Thunder)
MA Beer 7 25 6.28
(Perth Scorchers)
SJ Coyte 7 25.1 6.31
(Sydney Thunder)
NJ Rimmington 6 22 6.45
(Perth Scorchers)
SCG MacGill 6 17 6.47
(Sydney Sixers)
SK Warne 6 19 6.57
(Melbourne Stars)
January 19th 2012 @ 3:42pm
Chaos said | January 19th 2012 @ 3:42pm | Report comment
I was going to mention that the best bowlers in the 20/20 are spinners.
January 19th 2012 @ 6:06pm
Jason said | January 19th 2012 @ 6:06pm | Report comment
“But take Warne, Murali & Kumble away, & the cupboard is bare.”
Again. I disagree. In the same era we’ve had Harby, Macgill, Mustaq Ahmend, Saqlain, Tim May, Shakib, Swann, Vettori, Kaneria – even Funky Miller.
All pretty good bowlers – certain there are a number in there the equal of the likes of those you’ve listed above.
January 20th 2012 @ 9:17am
The Bush said | January 20th 2012 @ 9:17am | Report comment
I was about to meantion that Jason! sheek seems to forget that they’re were a large number of successful spinners during the period (though all eclipsed by the three (3) greats mentioned).
Swann is still kicking around and it wasn’t that long ago he was one of the best bowlers in the world.
Also, whilst certainly not a superstar in anyway, I’m amazed at how quickly people are writing off Lyon considering he took plenty of handy wickets against the Kiwis and had taken a stack of wickets in Sri Lanka and South Africa before that…
Patience people.
January 20th 2012 @ 6:58pm
sheek said | January 20th 2012 @ 6:58pm | Report comment
Oh okay, maybe I wrote this during a shiraz phase, or make that haze………..
January 19th 2012 @ 6:51pm
Jiggles said | January 19th 2012 @ 6:51pm | Report comment
The cupboards where pretty bare before those three world class spinners also, and as Jason mentions below there where a number of quality spinners floating around in their time too. Macgill would’ve walked into any other test team of that era and notched up over 100+ tests. The fact is the quality of spinners in cricket has always been cyclic.
Personally I just think your “age of instant gratification” line is just an excuse for grumpy baby boomer nostalgia. Baby boomer’s chastise younger generations for their actions today; yet fail to accept that it was their generation who created and encouraged the society we live in today.
January 20th 2012 @ 9:18am
The Bush said | January 20th 2012 @ 9:18am | Report comment
“yet fail to accept that it was their generation who created and encouraged the society we live in today.”
And also behaved that why themselves when they were young… You don’t think the Great Generation didn’t say the same things about them during the 60s and 70s?
January 20th 2012 @ 12:22pm
Jiggles said | January 20th 2012 @ 12:22pm | Report comment
The 60s and 70s was probably the biggest experiment in hedonism in the history of man-kind. A bit hypocritical from the Baby Boomer’s I think. Today’s sportsmen are not better or worse then previous generations, It is just Sheek being a grumpy old man
January 20th 2012 @ 11:26pm
Kersi Meher-Homji said | January 20th 2012 @ 11:26pm | Report comment
Sheek,
Talking of lack of spinners in cricket teams today, I was impressed with the way Australia’s teenager Bernard Tomic and Ukranian Dogolopulov spun the tennis ball with their rackets in tonight’s Australian Open!
I am no tennis expert but has anyone seen such “leg spinners” on a tennis court?
January 20th 2012 @ 8:58am
Rickety Knees said | January 20th 2012 @ 8:58am | Report comment
Hey Kersi – great post! Enjoyed meeting you – looking forward to next time.
January 20th 2012 @ 10:36am
Kersi Meher-Homji said | January 20th 2012 @ 10:36am | Report comment
Thank you, Rickety Knees,
It was great meeting you and other sports lovers on Wednesday.