Another away series against subcontinental opposition and Australia again falters.
After a triumphant summer in which the Ashes were reclaimed followed by a wonderful tour of South Africa, it seemed like the shambolic Indian tour and ‘homework-gate’ was a distant memory.
But alas in just two Tests all the old doubts have resurfaced and Australia’s abysmal showing against Pakistan has once again raised questions about the line-up.
Who should be batting at three? Should Australia have an all-rounder? Is Brad Haddin finished?
Is Peter Siddle in the best 11? One journalist even questioned whether Michael Clarke was still the right man to captain.
Numerous Roar articles have recently argued that everyone needs to take a breath and ‘pump the brakes’ before making any rash decisions. But time is running out to give this team the stability it needs before once again taking on the old foe.
Let’s not forget that the success of the team last summer was built on the back of keeping the same 12 players together for five Tests. There was a wonderful atmosphere in the dressing room and the side seemed well balanced.
In the recent Pakistan series, it seemed anything but. Lest we forget the disaster some years ago when the selectors named 17 players for the first Test against England in 2010.
Like Guinness, India are not a team that usually travels well and if Australia prepare some bouncy tracks it should prove too much for India’s top order to handle, but an easy kill won’t help the Aussies unless they put the right personnel in place.
The bowling looks relatively settled, with Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle likely starters despite Siddle’s poor Pakistan series, but he has credits in the bank and bowled well against England last time.
Lyon too will be given the chance to firm up his spot and playing in all four Tests should be guaranteed to him by Darren Lehmann in order to give him some confidence. Bowling with the constant fear of being one bad Test away from omission doesn’t help a spinner relax into their role.
If fit Ryan Harris immediately comes into the eleven and waiting in the wings are James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc and a number of quicks who have started the Shield season in fine form.
The intrigue comes when trying to sure up Australia’s top seven.
Four of the top seven are safe for the entirety of the home Test series with India. David Warner’s a star and has formed an excellent opening partnership with Chris Rogers who should bounce back on home soil and his experience in English conditions will be crucial.
At four and five Steve Smith and Michael Clarke already have their passports stamped and will be asked to once again hold together the middle order.
The number three position continues to cause headaches and clearly Glenn Maxwell, used in the last Test, is not the answer. The spot requires a water tight defence and someone the middle order can build around.
The selectors need to make a decision. Either bring back the oft-injured Shane Watson as purely a batsman or pass the baton onto one of his heir apparents in Phil Hughes, Shaun Marsh or Alex Doolan.
For me it’s now or never for Hughes who should be given his third crack at Test cricket and must make a fist of it this time.
Prior to the Pakistan series, any number of players could have batted at six. However, after showing surprisingly good touch against spin Mitch Marsh has earned the chance to impress.
While his bowling will be a great bonus being the fourth quick around the 140km mark it was his batting which raised supporter’s hopes that he genuinely could fill the role.
Australia has long tried to shoe horn an all-rounder into the eleven but often their batting and bowling on its own didn’t earn them an automatic spot.
Players like Maxwell, Cameron White and James Faulkner sat in the category of a jack of all trades and master of none. Watson and Smith have been good batting all-rounders because their batting has them in the best eleven with their bowling being an added bonus.
For Marsh to maintain his spot he cannot be a part time contributor with bat and ball but if he can average around 35 with the blade suddenly Watson is no longer required to have a trundle and his batting comes into sharper focus.
Finally I wrote earlier this year that Brad Haddin wouldn’t get to another Ashes series as his batting slump continued and his keeping has started to suffer.
With only the four home Tests prior to the Ashes, if Haddin isn’t the man there are a number of potential options but it is decision time. The selectors appear in two minds with Matthew Wade taking the gloves in the upcoming one-day games and Ben Dunk surprisingly selected in the T20s despite not keeping for his state.
Peter Nevill and Chris Hartley continue to show brilliant shield form and Sam Whiteman clearly the future in WA.
While drastic changes need not be sought following the terrible Pakistan series clearly Australia don’t have a lot of time to make some significant decisions around the make-up of the team to head to England.
A settled team is a happy team and clearly players like Nathan Lyon, Haddin, Doolan, Chris Rogers, Hughes and Marsh either need to be backed for the series against India or moved aside.
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