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It has taken Aaron Finch’s hamstring injury, and the selectors sending Steve Smith and David Warner early to New Zealand for Usman Khawaja’s to be selected for the third and final Twenty20 clash with India at the SCG on Sunday.
Better late than never.
But because the selectors haven’t treated the Twenty20 series with as much attention as Test matches and ODIs, India has already comfortably won the series.
In what were two almost identical games, India crunched 3-188 in Adelaide to beat Australia’s 151 all out by 37.
Last night at the MCG, India plundered another 3-184 to beat Australia’s 8-158 by 27.
To show how much attention the selectors have paid to this series, there were six changes for the MCG last night.
Gone from the Adelaide loss are Steve Smith, David Warner, Travis Head, Kane Richardson, Cameron Boyce, and Shaun Tait.
In came Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, John Hastings, Andrew Tye, Scott Boland, and Nathan Lyon, with Tye, Boland, and Lyon made their Twenty/20 debut.
It didn’t make any difference, the result was just the same.
But Finch’s unavailability and with Smith and Warner leaving for New Zealand today, who will captain the side on Sunday?
Shane Watson looms large, but the resurrection of former skipper George Bailey which would also stiffen the brittle batting.
Khawaja should open with Shaun Marsh, with Chris Lynn, Bailey, Maxwell, Watson, Cameron Bancroft making his keeping debut, James Faulkner, Tye, Boland, and Lyon – with John Hastings to miss out.
The reappearance of Maxwell from injury last night was trumpeted across the board after he won the Australian ODI Player of the Year at the Allan Border Medal last Tuesday night in Melbourne.
You would think Maxwell would celebrate beating the far more favoured Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, and David Warner by knuckling down with Australia in trouble last night.
Not on your life.
Maxwell last two balls in scoring one, dancing down the wicket to play yet another hero shot and was stumped.
Australia went from 2-99 to 3-101 with Maxwell yet again letting his team and himself down.
He should listen to champion Indian batsman Virat Kohli.
“I always try to keep my batting simple, nothing fancy,” is the perfect advice that translates to playing every ball on its merits – no reverse sweeps, no paddling, no ramping.
It’s worth reprinting Maxwell’s quotes after his 96 that clinched the ODI series against India.
“Early on, I got a little too excited trying to score a 150 strike rate every game.
“It’s going to be a hard grind trying to change a lot of people’s perceptions of how I’m seen.
“I’m hoping a lot more innings (like the 96) and hopefully people will start to forget the stupid nickname (the Big Show) and all that sort of thing, and the hype, and the trick shots.
“It’s something I’m trying to change, and it’s something I’m really working on,” Maxwell added.
Let’s see if Glenn Maxwell can keep his word on Sunday as Australia tries to regain some pride.