There is no way to sugar coat it – Australia’s tour of India was an unmitigated disaster. For the first time in over 40 years Australia suffered a 4-nil series defeat.
Not even the most ardent Aussie fan would have seriously entertained a series victory when Michael Clarke’s side left for the sub-continent.
But neither perhaps did they foresee such a lop-sided series where the tourists were outplayed in every aspect of the game.
Stand-in skipper Shane Watson said after the final defeat that the team had learnt a lot from the experience.
Looking on from the outside, you would have to suggest that what they may have learnt they did not put into practice out in the middle.
The top-order batsmen, save Clarke, were the most culpable.
Unfortunately, it appeared none of them had ever heard one of Albert Einstein’s most oft-repeated sayings; “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”.
If they had, stark errors exercised at the crease would not be repeated.
At various stages, left-handers David Warner, Phil Hughes and Ed Cowan were all bowled by off-spinner Ravi Ashwin on the sweep after failing to cover the line of deliveries that pitched well outside leg stump.
Shane Watson fell twice on the pull shot courtesy of inconsistent bounce.
The second of those instances, when he was bowled for five by Pragyan Ohja in Australia’s second innings at Delhi, came at a time when as captain he needed to lead by example with his team potentially in a winning position.
He used the same shot to great effect on batsmen-friendly pitches in Sri Lanka during the T20 world championship last year, but attempting the same on dusty and cracked Test pitches was irresponsible.
Watson has quite simply failed to live up to the hype that has often surrounded him.
There is no disputing he has been a highly successful batsman in the limited-overs arena but often that success has been wrongly bundled up with his Test record in assessing his overall benefit to Australian cricket with bat in hand.
Many still portray him as an aggressive and powerful hitter at Test level, but again, this is a carryover from his deeds in coloured clothing, as his career strike rate in Tests is an extremely sedate 49.7.
The Indian series saw yet another lacklustre performance – 99 runs at 16.5 from six innings.
More damning is the fact that the number 11, Nathan Lyon, absorbed more deliveries at the crease than the country’s second most-experienced batsman – 244 to 239 – with both playing three of the four Tests.
Watson hopes to be bowling again during the Ashes series and he badly needs to.
His batting is quite simply below par, with two centuries and an average of 35.3 from 41 Tests and 75 innings.
Australian cricket cannot continue to accept such a paltry return unless he is able to contribute very significantly with the ball.
If he cannot, he must be jettisoned, and approaching 32, that would likely spend the end of his Test career.
Warner is another who is making life tough for himself.
Several of his dismissals during the series – in which he averaged 24.4 – would have raised eyebrows in the one-day arena, let alone at the top of the order in Test cricket.
Warner has now played 19 Tests and it is high time his shot selection showed more maturity.
There is a clear upside when he is on-song but, with a batting line-up at present that possesses such frailty, a continued rollercoaster form line from Warner is going to hurt the side badly.
His behaviour during the final Test would have won few friends and given the state of the series and his own batting form he was coming from a long way back when it came to giving the opposition cheek.
If he continues to bat with such nonchalant abandon perhaps the selectors need to jettison him back to Shield ranks with a request that he tighten up his game.
A demotion, similar to that experienced by the likes of Damien Martyn, Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer early in their careers, proved the making of them as Test batsmen.
A similar path for Warner may have a similar affect.
Cowan battled away in India and in essence perhaps that is what he is most capable of producing at Test level.
He averaged 33.1 with a highest score of 86 but again he squandered a number of starts.
Since what was considered by some a breakthrough century against South Africa at Brisbane in November last year, he has batted a further 17 times and on nine of those occasions he has scored between 29 and 56.
He must start to convert those efforts into three-figure scores, otherwise his place will have to be scrutinised.
It is totally unacceptable that in four of Australia’s eight innings in the recently concluded series the top score was produced by men listed seven to 11.
Sometimes top order batsmen can have an excuse if they are forced to contend with a fearsome seaming pitch but in India, if anything, batting early on day one is the prime time.
Yet, despite that, Peter Siddle created history in the final Test by becoming the first man to top-score in each innings of a Test from number nine.
His first innings career-best 51 took 136 balls to compile and showed the top order what could be achieved with a cool head and a determined technique, just as Mitchell Starc’s 99 did at Mohali.
You can only hope the designated batsmen looked on from the player balcony with a high degree of embarrassment.
Currently, the first-class cupboard in Australia when it comes to batting is extremely bare but nonetheless we cannot continue to reward mediocrity from our country’s specialist batsmen.
It may be better to promote players who don’t boast stellar domestic CVs than continue to accept what is too often dished out by the incumbents.
India is never a fun place to be a wicketkeeper.
Brad Haddin’s first Test behind the stumps in India – at Bangalore in October 2008 – produced 39 byes.
Matthew Wade had his problems as well with the low and dusty Indian pitches but sadly it was not a one-off.
His dozen Tests to date have featured too many errors for a Test keeper, with Lyon the unlucky one on many occasions, and not just in India.
With Lyon still establishing himself at Test level he cannot afford to have an inferior gloveman supporting him.
At 25, Wade still has plenty of time on his hands to hone his craft and at present that exercise would be best served at domestic level in Australia.
Lyon’s saving grace was his 7-94 in the first innings of the last Test, a performance that will surely boost his confidence.
He was clearly the best of the three spinners – four if you throw in Steve Smith.
Xavier Doherty has shown he is not a Test bowler and while Glenn Maxwell topped the bowling averages with seven wickets at 27.6, he is far from being a true Test all-rounder at present and is another who needs to foster his game in Shield ranks.
Western Australia’s Ashton Agar has to be the next spinner called up.
His tail-end batting heroics this summer for the Warriors has illustrated his ability to cope with pressure.
If not Agar, surely Steven O’Keefe must be given an opportunity.
Players need to be taught that acquiring a baggy green is one thing while continuing beneath it is an entirely different exercise.
Often the best way for that lesson to be learnt is by exercising tough love.
The time for excuses is over.
Bearfax
Guest
Hi ho Silver. Take no prisoners. No more Mr Nice Guy eh Silver. Interesting proposal.
Silver_Sovereign
Guest
I can see it now, excuses for usman not getting a game in either ashes series. Or he will get one game, may fail and will be dropped again. No run of chances like everyone else. Myths: -Cowan is improving. Hes 30 and this is as good as hes going to get. -Hughes is learning. Found out by 3 different nations. Had his chance. -Lyon improving. Cant bowl a team out when it matters. Always too fast and not enough time between balls to process his thoughts. -Warner maturing. Crap, threw away his wicket with foolish swipes all through the indian series. -Wade a good keeper. Paine and Hartley must go to ashes. Rogers, Cosgrove, Khawaja, Doolan, Clarke, Smith, Paine, Pattinson, Harris, Ahmed, Bird. Reserves Silk, Burns, Bailey, McDonald, Faulkner, Hartley, O'Keefe, Cutting, Cummins
Ches
Guest
Great point. Why do we even need a coach? We did in the late 80's when Simpson came in and resurrected Australian cricket to seen heights. Why? Because we were depleted by retirement of legends and had an extreme lack of genuine talent. Sound familiar? But seriously cricket never needed coaches. A player had a "personal" coach to help them if out of form. They also had an older and well experienced captain who mentored the younger players through difficulties. The question has to be asked "Do we have that captain now?" Cricket coaching was "contrived" by former players who were to old to play, could not get a job in the media or Cricket Australia and wanted to stay (and earn) in the game at the highest level because they did not fancy going back to that "Bank Teller" or "bricklaying" job. Many feel they were under paid or ripped off during their playing days and they "deserve" this. They use the "Bobby Simpson was successful at this" so therefore your country NEEDS THIS argument. So far nearly all the cricket boards of the world have fallen for this "doomsday if you don't" sales pitch. Australian cricket is exactly where it was in the late 80's. Retirements and under performing players. DO we need a coach? possibly but once the team is up to a "true" top 3 standard we should ditch the coaches and make players more accountable for themselves
Timmuh
Roar Guru
matt, you are not being fair to Johnson. He knows where his house is. Admittedly he sometimes ends up four houses away and occasionally in a different suburb, even the wrong side of the country on one occasion; but that is a matter of poor delivery rather than lack of intent.
Timmuh
Roar Guru
Disco, on form Watson is not one of our seven or eight best batsmen, he is probably one of our seven or eight best bowlers given his inability to take on a full bowling load. Therefore, there is no place for him in the Ashes squad. Champions Trophy should be his lot in England, maybe a county stint if he can get a contract. Right now, he would bat somewhere between 8 and 10; either just ahead of or just behind Pattinson and Siddle; and would need to be a fultime bowler to justify a place.
St Mark W
Guest
How long do you give batsmen to prove themselves? 10, 20, 30, 50 or more matches to prove themselves? What if a perceived lack of pressure to perform is adversely effecting there performances? What if the best place for them to develop their game is under less pressure, playing at the lower level? There needs to be a balance between giving players time and not continuing to reward inadequate performances. There is no guarantee that any of the current players will every become good international batsmen and there comes a rime when those who have not yet been given a reasonable chance should be given one.
nickyc
Guest
Whoever would have thought that Stuart Broad would be the man to set a new record of 1 hr 42 mins for getting off the mark in a test match!
TedS
Guest
Call me an internet vigilante, but the issue of UTK transcends sports. Maybe I am too ambitious in my support for this fella, but in my opinion, higher civic authorities beyond CA management need to take a closer look at this situation. Cannot say this enough, all it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.
buddha9
Guest
I noticed Glen made no mention of the Usman K situation -- why's that Glen? Neither did the bloke in the SMH -- makes you wonder doesn't it? Too many journos are too close to the team and spend too much time playing state favourites & licking the buttocks of the team players and managers. Its easy to say ( and i've said it) that the players aren't good enough but this set of managers are failing to use what resources they have -- nor are they by the look establishing an atmosphere of team harmony or unity in the dressing room --- there is clearly a situation where some players are in and some are out -- the selections contributed to the calamity of this tour and the management made a difficult situation much worse but from Glen not a word about this -- simply blame the players push your own state wagon ie Mr Unknown western aussie spinner ignore the facts ( Lyon taking 7 wickets) and soldier on -- this sort of partisan ship is typical of aussie teams in any sport when the team isn't performing -it happens in union frequently and if aussie cricket is to recover it needs to stop -- and the devise mate culture as well --
Dills
Guest
Head coach should be an Australian. Select your assistants from anywhere but an Australian head coach also needs to foster team culture. We desperately need that. Look to bring in out best domestic coach Tim Coyle and Bailey to bat in the middle order.
Glenn Mitchell
Expert
Worries me Brett that his degenerative condition may rear its ugly head. Lot more in the next few years.
pope paul v11
Guest
Dunno Richard, one of god's great mysteries. When you consider that they were missing 80 odd test centuries from Ponting, Hussey and Clarke for the Delhi Test that should have been enough in itself. However Delhi was predicted to spin and deteriorate from the outset also. That should have sealed it. It is unfathomable they didn't pick six bats to try and extend their time at the wicket. 50 of 60 runs might have done it. Not to mention the decreasing runs and wickets from Moises and Maxi. And Wade had bombed six. It was obvious that they needed to change tack. Yet no journo asked a question?
Richard
Guest
What is it with reporters. Why aren't they asking the hard questions?
Sydney Kiwi
Guest
I heard the Arthur press conference today when they returned back in the country. He said to expect a similar batting line up for the Ashes remarking that England would have conditions similar to what they are comfortable with. He also mentioned there were a few selections purely for Indian conditions so hopefully that means bye to Doherty and Maxwell. Will be interesting to see if Smith stays. SO looks like same batsman and considering he called Watson a world class batsman seems like he will stay aswell. Reporters could have asked why they didn't play Khawaja considering the injury to Clarke.
lolly
Guest
Yes, it is.
lolly
Guest
It reads more like a rant hence the endless para but it's a thought out one. They are choosing attacking players then trying to turn them into Cook or Trott style players and so they are coming to grief. That's what I got from Dave's comment. He's right in a lot of ways, but at some point even attacking players have to reign in their instincts and think about what a team needs. Faf did it beautifully in Adelaide, there's no reason why our guys can't learn to. It's a five day match, not short format cricket.
lolly
Guest
But that's what they already do. Cowan's record was hardly stellar nor was Shaun Marsh's or Henriques'. They try new players but surprise, surprise, a mediocre domestic record means mediocre international stats. It's early days for Henriques, it's true but Cowan is hardly going to set the place alight and hopefully, Shaun Marsh will never get a test cap again. They have to stick with players they have chosen and really give them enough rope. You can't learn to be a good international batsman overnight.
lolly
Guest
Silk is only on his third or fourth first class match. I'd be horrifed if they picked him for the Ashes.
Praveen
Guest
UTK will be out star in the ashes
Praveen
Guest
He should have stayed till the end of the series to face the questions