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Australia’s latest Test cricketer, Cameron Bancroft, is one of the most well-rounded batsmen in the country, raised on bouncy WACA decks, experienced on seaming English pitches, and with success against spin in Asia.
Two months ago, Bancroft made 206 not out and 72 in an English county match, and just over two years ago he scored 150 on a Chennai dustbowl for Australia A against a strong India A line-up.
His success across a variety of conditions is good news for Australia, given England and Asia are the two places their Test batting line-up has struggled most in recent years.
The batting unit is often mocked as ‘flat-track bullies’ due to regularly flopping in bowler-friendly conditions. Too many of their batsmen have been imperious on hard, true, home pitches, only to be exposed once the ball seams, swings or spins appreciably.
There clearly is a need to promote batsmen who have shown the talent, technique and temperament to adapt to foreign conditions. In Bancroft, they may just have such a batsman.
At only 25 years of age, he has already played a lot of cricket in England, including 16 first-class county matches, ten second XI county matches, seven T20 Blast games, and a full season in the Derbyshire Premier League back in 2013.
(AAP Image/Richard Wainwright)
Like many Australian batsmen, Bancroft initially struggled in the Old Dart, where the pitches offer far more seam movement and the Dukes ball swings much further than the Kookaburra version.
In his first season in the County Championship, last year, Bancroft made just 192 runs at 21. As he became more familiar with the conditions during his second season, his returns improved, and he completed the campaign strongly to finish with 685 runs at 40.
This was far from a standout season, but county cricket can be a difficult environment for overseas batsmen. In the same division as Bancroft this year, Indian star Cheteshwar Pujara averaged only 27 from eight matches, despite being the ICC’s fourth-ranked batsman in the world, with a Test average of 53.
Bancroft’s experience across these county stints will hold him in great stead should he manage to earn a place in the next Ashes, in England, just over 18 months from now. As he piled up runs in the Shield this summer, Bancroft showcased attributes which are key to thriving in such conditions: he doesn’t commit too early to the front or back foot, and he plays the ball very late, right under his eye-line and with soft hands.
He has also displayed the assured approach against spin, which helped him dominate in India for Australia A. It was that sterling performance which vaulted him into the Australian squad in Bangladesh two years ago, before the series was cancelled.
(AAP Image/Mal Fairclough)
With 224 runs at 75 in that two-match red ball series, Bancroft outscored the likes of Indian Test players Pujara (119 runs at 29), Virat Kohli (61 runs at 30), Karun Nair (104 runs at 26), Abhinav Mukund (123 runs at 31) and Shreyas Iyer (122 runs at 30).
His return was particularly impressive given the series was low scoring and played on dustbowl pitches. The parched surfaces favoured spinners so heavily that Australian Gurinder Sandhu gave up bowling pace and had significant success with his off breaks, taking five wickets.
In the second match, Bancroft grafted for more than six hours as he made a match-winning score of 150. The West Australian quelled the threat of quality left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, who has taken 113 Test wickets for India.
In the first match, Bancroft made 51 opposed to both Ojha and gifted leg-spinner Amit Mishra, who has 156 international wickets for India.
He has highlighted again and again in the Shield that he is one of Australia’s finest players of spin. His swift, confident footwork allows him to get to the pitch of the ball, and when he plays from the crease he is quick to read the length and seize upon anything a touch short.
It is rare for an Australian opening batsman to possess such natural ease against spin. This could come in handy when Australia tour the UAE for three Tests against Pakistan early in 2019.
First, however, Bancroft has to show that he can survive against England’s fine pace attack in the Ashes. That, in itself, will be a massive challenge.