Cricket stats are sometimes misleading when looking at a players’ form. Sometimes a player in a form slump can be looked upon favourably based on their previous scores.
As an exercise in curiosity, I have looked back at Australia’s Test team since the 2013-2014 Ashes to the conclusion of the Adelaide Test versus India and analysed their performances with the bat and the ball.
AUSTRALIA VS INDIA: DAY TWO LIVE SCORES
I know selecting a small pool of matches will skew the stats, but it’s a thought experiment, so bear with me.
First innings batting averages and strike rates
| Average | Strike Rate | |
| Smith | 69.9 | 56.55 |
| Warner | 61.55 | 80.98 |
| Clarke | 57.3 | 58.83 |
| Lyon | 47.5 | 37.4 |
| Haddin | 41.91 | 64.93 |
| Maxwell | 37 | 132.14 |
| Watson | 28.29 | 55.31 |
| Harris | 25.5 | 84.07 |
| Johnson | 22.9 | 54.27 |
| Rogers | 22 | 38.6 |
| Doolan | 15 | 36.14 |
| Bailey | 12.8 | 43.54 |
| Siddle | 8.88 | 41.76 |
| O’Keefe | 6 | 12.77 |
Since the 2013-14 Ashes, new the Australian captain Steve Smith has been the best with the bat, scoring an average of 69.90 runs in the first innings, followed closely by David Warner. Nathan Lyon’s average is skewed by the multiple not outs he attains.
Second innings batting averages and strike rates
| Average | SR | |
| Warner | 87.5 | 77.71 |
| Bailey | 59.5 | 72.56 |
| Smith | 47.5 | 48.55 |
| Rogers | 47.27 | 49.01 |
| Watson | 43.17 | 76.4 |
| Doolan | 32.75 | 45.33 |
| Johnson | 27.5 | 57.59 |
| Clarke | 22.56 | 55.01 |
| Haddin | 19.5 | 64.29 |
| Siddle | 15 | 29.13 |
| Harris | 9.5 | 48.72 |
| Maxwell | 4 | 33.33 |
| Starc | 2 | 9.52 |
| Lyon | 2 | 33.33 |
| O’Keefe | 0 | 0 |
Smith slides down to position three and Warner has a very strong average of 87.5 runs, and a fast strike rate too. Chris Rogers seems a lot more comfortable batting in the second innings, more than doubling his average.
Match batting averages and strike rates
| Average | SR | |
| Warner | 73.9 | 79.1 |
| Smith | 61.5 | 53.98 |
| Clarke | 40.84 | 57.78 |
| Watson | 35.15 | 65.57 |
| Rogers | 34.64 | 45.14 |
| Haddin | 34 | 64.8 |
| Bailey | 26.14 | 58.84 |
| Johnson | 24.21 | 55.3 |
| Doolan | 23.88 | 41.98 |
| Harris | 21.5 | 77.83 |
| Maxwell | 20.5 | 102.5 |
| Lyon | 20.2 | 37.13 |
| Siddle | 10.1 | 37 |
| O’Keefe | 6 | 10.34 |
| Starc | 2 | 9.52 |
Combining the two innings helps illustrate the form Warner and Smith have been in. It also shows that Australia’s batting line-up is potentially vulnerable if Warner and Smith get out cheaply.
George Bailey really didn’t grab the chance when it was presented, and Brad Haddin is holding his own. I understand they are playing Rogers as a calm foil to Warner’s aggression, but a strike rate of less than 50 might give Warner the impression he has to keep the scoreboard ticking.
First innings wickets, strike rates and averages
| Avg | SR | Wickets | |
| Johnson | 16.38 | 35.9 | 29 |
| Pattinson | 38.5 | 56.5 | 2 |
| Watson | 27.75 | 58 | 4 |
| Smith | 49 | 58 | 3 |
| Harris | 26.38 | 66 | 16 |
| Lyon | 42.9 | 75.52 | 21 |
| Starc | 43 | 81 | 2 |
| Clarke | 40 | 83 | 1 |
| Siddle | 36.36 | 85 | 14 |
| O’Keefe | 53.5 | 90 | 2 |
The UAE wasn’t really too kind to the bowlers, and has inflated their stats a bit. Mitchell Johnson has been Australia’s best bowler, and stats show it with him picking up a wicket every six overs.
Peter Siddle was an interesting one because I didn’t think he bowled badly, but with only 14 first innings wickets and 25 overall it shows he isn’t quite the strike bowler of Johnson or Ryan Harris.
Second innings wickets, strike rates and averages
| Avg | SR | Wickets | |
| Johnson | 19.47 | 38.9 | 30 |
| Harris | 23.61 | 48.83 | 18 |
| Lyon | 32.24 | 61.76 | 21 |
| Smith | 57.67 | 66 | 3 |
| Pattinson | 31 | 81 | 2 |
| O’Keefe | 56 | 81 | 2 |
| Siddle | 43.27 | 82.36 | 11 |
| Watson | 70 | 204 | 1 |
Another interesting result, this time with Nathan Lyon. I remember reading a lot about how he doesn’t get enough second innings wickets, yet I have him second (with 21 wickets) only to Johnson (30 wickets).
Match wickets, strike rates and averages
| Avg | SR | Wickets | |
| Johnson | 17.72 | 37.2 | 69 |
| Harris | 24.91 | 56.91 | 34 |
| Smith | 53.33 | 62 | 6 |
| Lyon | 37.57 | 68.64 | 42 |
| Pattinson | 34.75 | 68.75 | 4 |
| Siddle | 39.4 | 83.84 | 25 |
| O’Keefe | 54.75 | 85.5 | 4 |
| Watson | 36.2 | 87.2 | 5 |
| Clarke | 47 | 113 | 1 |
| Starc | 71 | 116 | 2 |
Not much to add regarding Johnson and Harris that hasn’t already been said. Smith getting a handy breakthrough is helpful. Lyon’s 12 wickets in Adelaide helped his average and strike rate.
So what does all this mean? It more quantifies what we already knew.
Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris are the lead wicket takers in the Aussie pace attack. Nathan Lyon, based on the stats, deserves his spot in the side. Smith should keep rolling the arm over and maybe the selectors were right to give Siddle a spell in the domestic comp.
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