With Australia still basking in the euphoric Sydney Test, which saw an innings victory and records broken at every turn, much of the focus has rightly focused on just how bad India has been and their rapid decline from world number one.
However, if Australia is to continue to improve and challenge England for the Ashes, they must have a cold hard look at their team and make sure that the weaknesses in the side aren’t being overlooked simply because the side is winning.
A look at the Australian performance over the last two Test matches does show the team is vulnerable, and a better side than India may well have capitalised.
A quick look at the Australian side shows that from one through to 11, there are still many question marks:
Batting
Despite the massive Sydney score, the batting is a concern. The top three are all players yet to establish themselves and all have question marks over their ability at Test level. They’ve all shown glimpses – Warner in Hobart, Cowan in his debut innings, and Shaun Marsh who looked every inch a stable number three in Sri Lanka and South Africa. We need to see more consistency from these players to provide Australia with stability at the top of the order. Australia cannot afford to be regularly 3/40 odd.
Prior to the second innings in Melbourne and the Sydney Test, massive questions were being asked of the middle order – particularly old hands Hussey and Ponting. Many wanted them dropped – and there was justification. It’s ironic then that in the two Tests against India, the players with the biggest question marks over them are now major reasons why Australia are 2-0 up.
Both Ponting and Hussey have secured their short term future, and unless it’s of their choosing, it’s hard to see either of them not touring the West Indies – where a weak attack and flat tracks will have them salivating. The concern leading into the next Ashes series will be how to manage their departure from the side.
I think it’s unlikely both Hussey and Ponting will be a source of consistent runs in the next Ashes series. For the time being though, it is clear they are Australia’s best options – particularly when the younger brigade haven’t been taking their chances and demanding selection. So, for the time being, their future remains assured. They’re scoring runs and there isn’t anybody demanding to be picked in their place. Shane Watson will return at some stage, but he can slot in anywhere from one to six.
Wicketkeeper
Probably the player under the most pressure is Brad Haddin. It seems one player is always in the fans and media’s sights in Australia. Runs for Hussey and Ponting have seen attention shift to Haddin. He had a poor 2011 with the bat and this summer his glove work hasn’t been up to his usual standard.
The absence of Tim Paine has probably taken some of the heat off Haddin, but a poor Sydney Test has put him right in the firing line. Unless Haddin performs in the final two tests, he will be under real pressure to hold his spot, with Victoria’s Matthew Wade liked by many.
Bowling
The bowling has been the big surprise for me this summer – particularly the quicks. Pattinson has been a revelation, Hilfenhaus rejuvenated and ten times the bowler he was last year, and Peter Siddle’s bowling well and taking vital wickets. Ryan Harris is lurking around the squad, and with Pat Cummins on ice Australia’s fast bowling stocks are the big plus the side has and the biggest threat to England retaining the Ashes.
The only real question you can ask in relation to the quicks is who to pick when they’re all fit.
The spinning position is a bit more problematic. Nathan Lyon started his career with a bang, and was solid against South Africa and New Zealand. Against India he hasn’t threatening and appeared to be protected by Michael Clarke in Sydney. Better bowlers than Lyon have struggled against India, so he shouldn’t be judged too harshly or quickly. The real test for Lyon will be how much he learns and improves from this series.
What does all this mean?
Australian cricket is now clearly in a much stronger position going forward than it was a month ago. The debacle in Hobart against the Kiwis does seem a long time ago. It’s clear, though, there are still some areas for concern in the side.
All of these areas will need to be addressed well before the next Ashes series, because without a stable line up and players who have certainty in their role, Australia’s job will be that bit harder.
Frankie Hughes
Guest
Hughes opens against the new ball. North hid in the middle order.
Red Kev
Guest
And Marcus North has 4 test hundreds, 1000 runs and a better average than Hughes. So what.
Red Kev
Guest
You be curious lou, I'll be scared!
lou
Guest
I'm curious to see what is going to happen with Punter. He wants to go to England again. I think that's obvious.
jameswm
Guest
Siddle apart, all our bowlers are primarily swing bowlers. Harris, Pattinson and Hilfenhaus all bowl pronounced outies, Starc the other way, and Cummins bowls an outie as a stock ball. Even Sid Vicious bowls outies, though he cuts it back in more than the others. I can't see why all of Harris, Pattinson, Cummins, Siddle, Hilfy and Starc wouldn't succeed in English conditions. By the way anyone see Starc bowl the other night, admittedly in a 20 game? Just killed them, with 3-4 wickets in an over at one stage (2 given and kept, one given and reversed, and one not given but was out). What an eventful over.
jameswm
Guest
sorry I did miss that. I agree - things would be very different if Paine was fit, because the Argus Report identified him as one of the 5 players to base our team around for the next 10 years.
Frankie Hughes
Guest
Sure pal, he has 3 Test hundreds and 1000 Test runs...
Justin
Guest
Spot on with all of that Disco especially around Marsh who has never done anything at Shield level of note. He has got a run through the IPL and ODI which is nothing like Test cricket.
Justin
Guest
Ferguson should be nowhere near a test start, his first class career is very ordinary. He plays across the line way too much for my liking and looks a limited overs player only.
formeropenside
Guest
Steve Smith is the next Cameron White. I really dont understand how he played Test cricket at all, let alone is still viewed by some as a future Test possibility.
Chris
Guest
I wonder why? If Australia can get a nice bowling squad up and running over the next year or so that would be great. Cummins, Pattinson, Siddle, Hilfenhaus, with Starc, Cutting, Hazelwood and Copeland all pushing for selection puts the team in a very exciting place. And there's always Watson as well...
Disco
Roar Guru
Copeland seems to be persona non grata with the boys' club.
Disco
Roar Guru
It's a farce with $utherland's thumbs all over it. Usman Khawaja certainly can't be scoring heavily in four-day cricket while this hit-and-giggle nonsense is going on. As you suggest, Talisman, it's a state of affairs that would seem to suit the boys' club nicely. I'm still dumbstruck how the phrase "Form is temporary, class is permanent" can be used in reference to Shaun Marsh who has never been an especially good Shield performer.
Disco
Roar Guru
Ponting's retention is an almighty blunder, not only because a 25-year old with a lot of talent and an excellent Shield record is being kept out of the side, but also because the focus remains too much on Ponting's greatness and aura; the team has yet to move on from the era of the past captain which let's face it, ended poorly for Australia with said ex-skipper's flaws and limitations as captain and a batsman being laid bare.
John
Guest
Copeland, perfect type of bowler for English conditions, needs to be taken to back up Cummins, Pattinson and whoever is still standing and worthy.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Razza, Indian pitches dont usually help any form of bowling ... and if you want to sdee big hits, then you want to see a batsman dance down the wicket and give a spin bowler the charge.
TomC
Guest
On the bowling: I think the issue the selectors will have to address over the next eighteen months is which of our bowlers are most likely to succeed in English conditions. Swingers tend to do better than seamers, which might make the tour tough going for Pattinson and Cummins. Hilfenhaus was Australia's best bowler in the last tour of England and it's vital he stay in the team.
Cameron
Guest
Do not bring Phil Hughes back into the side. He is only good enough for Sheffield Shield only, not Sheffield Shield and Country.
Red Kev
Guest
My gut feel is the back-to-back Ashes series in 2013 (in England) and 2013/14 (in Australia). 18 months sounds like a long time but in reality it is 15 test matches away (13 if you don’t count the next two matches against India in which the selectors won’t make any changes unless forced to by injuries). The longer version is that it depends on how quickly the selectors fix their blunder (and I do consider it a blunder although I know others do not) and move to retire Ponting and Hussey. If Ponting wraps it up after the Adelaide test match and Hussey before the next tour to India then it won’t bite us at all – if however we roll into the 2012/13 summer with the same batting line-up we have right now against SA and SL (and don't have new batsmen ready for the tour to India) then I think it will bite hard and end up costing us at least 7 if not all 10 of the Ashes tests. But I could be very wrong.
Rhys
Guest
It'll be an interesting period once Hussey and Ponting do retire (or are moved on). Let's assume that post 13/14 Ashes (at the outside) that Ponting, Hussey & Haddin (who surely will be gone by then) have all departed the Test team. Based on the ages of the other players, either currently in (or around) the Test squad, the word 'retirement' should be largely absent from any talk to do with Aussie team selection for potentially 2-3 years after that. That will mean a lot of columnists and blog contributors will have to find something else to talk about (me included) - I guess we could always just talk about the game itself.