The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Aussie spine proves too good for the rest in the Cricket World Cup

Mitchell Starc has brought up an impressive, if hard to correctly recall, record. (AAP Image/Joe Castro)
Roar Guru
31st March, 2015
0

The success of a football team over a period of time is often dictated by the nucleus of three or four players. In sports such as football and AFL, it often involves the strong centre back, a robust midfielder and a dependable attacker.

To equate that into cricket, it is simply a batsman, an all-rounder and a bowler. It might sound uncomplicated, but in modern day cricket international teams rarely find such three players that can be so reliable on countless number of occasions.

Perhaps that is why Australia’s fifth World Cup triumph needs to be appreciated so much. In Steve Smith, the batsman, James Faulkner, the all-rounder, and Mitchell Starc, the bowler, Australia had the three loyal resources that carved the path to victory.

Smith, Faulkner and Strac are the spine of the team and it is even justifiable to say they carried Australia across the line in each of the crunch moments of the World Cup.

They made the others look like a supporting cast, despite their colossal reputations.

Eliminate David Warner’s 178 against Afghanistan, the opener failed to make 50 in the tournament. Aaron Finch’s place at the top was in great danger right up to the semi-final.

Shane Watson was dropped only to re-discover himself, possibly through a gamble rather than a plan. Mitch Johnson’s form was mediocre right until the semi-final. Until the final, Michael Clarke seemed like a non-playing captain.

Eventually, each player played a role, but they had failed to live up to expectations throughout the tournament. It might be tough to comprehend but given the strength of Australian cricket, but any other eight players could have been included in the playing 11 with Smith, Starc, Faulkner and Australia would still have gone on to crowned champions.

Advertisement

It might sound ridiculous but that is simply how dominant Smith, Starc and to an extent Faulkner were at the World Cup.

Smith finished the World Cup with 402 runs, only 67 runs ahead of Warner, but Smith had one 100, three 50s and importantly he steered Australia home in all the three knockout matches.

Mitchell Starc’s 22 wickets had him seven clear of his closest countrymen, Johnson. He, like his fellow New South Welshman Smith, had changed the course of the match on each occasion he took the ball.

In hindsight had the third man of the Australian spine, Faulkner played in Auckland, Australia could well have won the tussle across the Tasman and gone through the tournament undefeated.

As he showed in the final and has done over the past 18 months when the game hung in the balance, the Tasmanian all-rounder can manufacture a wicket or a lusty blow to ensure Australia has ended up on the right side.

There are no doubts that Maxwell and Hazlewood also rose to the occasion, but both men will be the first to state that without the three wise men, their jobs would have been considerably tougher.

Perhaps the greatest asset for Australia is that all the three key men will feature again at the next two World Cups, making Australia’s future look impregnable.

Advertisement

For now, Australia have shown to the world, if one batsmen, one bowler and one all rounder that can keep delivering almost on each occasion, then a team can be a world champion in the one day game.

close