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Australia changed tack yesterday, fielding six specialist batsmen for only the second time in their past 27 Tests.
The result was the same as the last time – a spectacular batting failure.
The previous occasion Australia ditched their so-called batting all-rounder, they were humiliated even more intensely, rolled for 60 by England at Nottingham last year.
I link these two Tests not to suggest picking six batsmen was a mistake. But rather to underline that it may not the solution to Australia’s batting frailty many fans had hoped it would be.
On a moist pitch like this one at Hobart, picking six batsmen undoubtedly is the correct choice. With the inability of most batsmen across the world to prosper against the moving ball, such surfaces are likely to result in Tests which are lucky to go beyond the third day.
This means there is no need for a decent fifth bowling option, a strategy designed to keep the frontliners fresh, incisive and healthy on flatter surfaces. The Adelaide pitch for last summer’s day-night Test was even juicier than this Bellerive deck.
Whatever happens across the rest of this second Test, Australia would be wise to again select six batsmen against the pink ball in the third Test.
Yet yesterday, they could have had 11 specialist batsmen and not passed 150.
This was the kind of disaster Australian fans have become resigned to witnessing.
Once the ball moves off the seam or laterally through the air, most Australian batsmen are rendered inept. Of the five times Australia has been dismissed for double digits in the past six years, each pitch has been moist.
Across a few months late last year, Australia lost six veteran members of their Test team – opening bowlers Ryan Harris and Mitchell Johnson, skipper Michael Clarke, ‘keeper Brad Haddin, all-rounder Shane Watson and opening batsman Chris Rogers.
While he had the lowest profile of those six players and played the least number of Tests, Rogers has been arguably Australia’s biggest loss. Only Harris has perhaps left a bigger hole in the Australian XI.
Year upon year of grafting on lively English county decks taught Rogers the value of ugly runs. If the bowlers were amid a fine spell or the ball was moving appreciably, Rogers was prepared to bat well within himself. He would batten down the hatches, ride the rough seas and wait for calmer waters to emerge before expanding his strokeplay.
That circumspect approach helped Rogers top the batting averages in England last year. At present, Australia don’t have a single batsman in the Rogers mould.
Indeed, there are few left at all in world cricket, hence the constant calamitous collapses we see.
Of our domestic batsmen, the player most similar in style to Rogers is Western Australian opener Cameron Bancroft.
The 23-year-old is one of the few batsmen in Australia who is prepared to play according to the circumstances, scrapping for every run when batting is tough and unfurling a wider range of strokes in friendly batting conditions.
Last year, Bancroft batted for more than six hours in daunting 40-degree Chennai heat while making 150 for Australia A.
Underlining the quality of that knock was the fact India A had a fine spin attack – including Pragyan Ojha who has 113 Test wickets at 30 – and the pitch was such a raging turner that Australian seamer Gurinder Sandhu gave up bowling pace and took three wickets bowling off spin.
Over the past two years, Bancroft has made just under 2000 runs at 46 in first-class cricket. Of course, Bancroft is yet to play a Test and could well fail when he is given the opportunity.
Australia does, however, require an improved mix of batting styles in their top six, which badly lacks patient operators. Rogers offered the line-up far better balance with his grinding style, which perfectly complemented David Warner.
This Test match is not yet over though, for all of Australia’s batting woes yesterday.
First, the Australians must keep South Africa’s lead to less than 150, which seems doable considering how well Australia bowled yesterday.
Second, they need to show some belated grit with the blade. South African batsmen Hashim Amla and Temba Bavuma showed that once you survive your first half an hour at the crease, scoring becomes considerably easier on this surface.
The Australians need to emulate the Rogers way and be prepared to make some ugly runs.