- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Skipper Steve Smith and coach Darren Lehmann must lift the Australians to beat Bangladesh and England to win a record third Champions Trophy.
Mother Nature gave the Australians a major wake up call against the Kiwis at Edgbaston, saving the Championship favourites from an embarrassing defeat.
The Australians were either complacent, or it was just a bad day at the office.
With refreshing honesty, Smith nailed it when he said – “That was one of the worst bowling displays we have put in for a very long time.
“We bowled on both sides of the wicket, we gave them a lot of freebies – it was very ordinary.
“So we probably got away with one there.”
No team can afford to bow half-track rubbish to the likes of Martin Guptill, Luke Ronchi, Kane Williamson, and Ross Taylor, and not expect a hammering.
The Australians got off lightly with Guptill’s early dismissal for 26 off 22 Ronchi’s 65 off 43, Williamson’s neat 100 off 99, his first against Australia in nine, and Taylor’s 46 off 58.
New Zealand posted 291 off the renewed 46 overs due to rain, leaving Australia 235 to get off a Duckworth/Lewis revised 33 overs.
At 3-53 off nine, the chances of reaching the target were very remote until rain washed out play.
Now the Australians must meet Bangladesh at The Oval on June 5, and England back at Edgbaston on June 10 to qualify for the semis.
But they won’t achieve that with the team that met the Kiwis.
Mitchell Starc hasn’t played an ODI since February, and no cricket at all since March – and it looked like it – with 0-52 off nine, compared to Josh Hazlewood’s 6-52 off nine.
Yet their stats were virtually the same.
Starc had 26 dot balls, Hazlewood 31 – Starc was smacked for six fours, Hazlewood eight.
Pat Cummins has the potential to be the most destructive of the Australians pace attack – but not at Edgbaston.
His first two overs cost 19, his second spell of three overs cost 33, but his last four overs cost 15 – a vast improvement.
There are two selections at Edgbaston that made many blink.
Moises Henriques to bat four when his career average batting six and seven was 6.57, and the seemingly overweight John Hastings who hasn’t played an ODI since Port Elizabeth in October last year.
Seeing Glenn Maxwell is no longer classed an all-rounder, he hasn’t bowled one delivery in his last eight ODIs, he must take on more responsibility with the bat, coming in at four.
The top three also need to take control – David Warner, Aaron Finch, and Steve Smith.
All three have scored more runs at home than overseas, in their last 10 digs.
Warner’s cracked 881 in his last 10 at home, averaging 88.1, but ‘only’ 538 away at 53.8.
Finch has scored 358 at home, averaging 35.8, with 302 away at 30.20.
While the skipper has scored 536 at home in his last 10, averaging 59.56, and 352 away, averaging 44.
The new side must include leggie Adam Zampa, especially against England.
He would compliment the three genuine quicks, on wickets that will take spin.
A more likely Australian team to meet Bangladesh would be:
David Warner (vc)
Aaron Finch
Steve Smith (c)
Glenn Maxwell
Travis Head
Marcus Stoinis
Matthew Wade
Pat Cummins
Mitchell Starc
Josh Hazlewood
Adam Zampa