Last week I talked about Australia’s seam bowlers. Let’s now look at Australia’s batting options for the upcoming Ashes series.
Ed Cowan is a solid opening batsman, has a strong defence and plays the ball late and straight. These are great traits of a top order player.
With a Test average of just over 30, he does not convert as many starts as he should into big scores.
However, he is a good option, Australia will need their openers to absorb pressure early from the likes of James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Tim Bresnan, Steven Finn and Graham Onions.
Chris Rogers is a surprising selection in some eyes, yet I believe this was a straightforward decision.
Australian cricket likes to talk up Sheffield Shield cricket as the best domestic competition in the world. Chris Rogers has dominated it for years now, so it makes sense the players that are consistently successful in a structure you are happy with get selected.
You have to trust the systems you have in place.
The Sheffield Shield is a great first class system (as long as the Big Bash does not keep encroaching on it, but that is for another article!) and players should be rewarded for consistently performing in it.
David Warner may well be asked to bat in another position for the Ashes. The selectors have not picked the 35-year-old Chris Rogers to carry the drinks so either Cowan or Warner will be moved.
While Warner can have an impact at the top of the order with his attacking game, I potentially see a role for him batting four after the top three have got through the early stages of the innings.
He needs to be clear with what shots he plays – he plays best when he looks to hit off the back foot through the offside with a horizontal bat, hitting the ball at the top of the bounce as opposed to a vertical bat.
This minimises his chance of getting caught in the slip cordon.
His footwork will need to be decisive and sharp and with his vast array of shots, I have no doubt he could be a real force in this series.
With a slightly unorthodox technique, Phil Hughes has the most important attribute for a batsman -genuine run making ability.
This may come across as a silly comment but I bet every club cricketer reading this knows of a player who looks a million bucks in the nets and smashes it on the ball machine with a perfect, ‘textbook’ technique yet never seems to score the runs out in the middle to match the net/bowling machine form.
With Phil, he finds a way to get runs even if at times he looks a bit ungainly. He can punish bad deliveries and finds ways to rotate the strike with the better deliveries.
England will bomb him with short stuff aimed at his right armpit and will not bowl wider than off stump. Anderson will look to get him nicking an away swinger after setting him up by bringing the ball back into him.
The challenge will be for Phil to combat this and thrive. He is up to this challenge in my opinion.
Forget that he had a poor tour of India – this lad can play and will silence all his doubters this Ashes series.
One gets feeling the selectors are not convinced Usman Khawaja has what it takes to succeed.
He is a stylish player who, with his body language at times, can lead people to believe he does not care or want it enough.
From what I have seen, this is not the case and you just have to speak to Darren Lehmann, his coach at Queensland, to tell you all you need to know:
“Great lad, great work ethic, serious player.” That’s Boof’s thoughts on Usman and since he is one of the best coaches and man managers in world cricket today, that’s good enough for me.
Michael Clarke has been in the form of his life over the last couple of years. Fast, decisive footwork and an ability to punish not only bad balls but decent deliveries are trademarks of his batting.
English conditions dictate he will need to continue to keep his footwork sharp. Will his fitness affect this? I am not talking aerobically/anaerobically but of his lower back problems.
Australia depend heavily on their captain and the temptation will be for him to bat higher, which I can completely understand.
However, the statistics clearly show he does his best work at number five and highlights the opportunity for Australia’s top order to step up to their responsibility.
I touched on Shane Watson in last week’s post. Raw numbers show he has performed well as an opener more than any other position, so that is something for the selectors to think about.
Much like Cowan, Watson has struggled to convert good starts into big scores and his biggest challenge is to learn to rotate the strike. If he finds himself in a middle order role, this will be even more apparent.
If he is bowling he will likely play, and bat six with Haddin at seven. If he is fit enough to bowl in a domestic T20 competition (IPL), he is fit enough to bowl for his country in Tests.
Aakash Bhat
Guest
My squad for the ist test rodgers Watson clarke hughes Warner haddin starc siddle pattinson Harris bird. Starc,pattinson,siddle and even harris can bat well.so our batting isnt as weak as it seems... I hv picked 5 bowlers because we can win only with good bowling.our batsmen cant win us matches.so i think we should go with our best weapon that is our pacers. This playin 11 will surely win us the ashes back......
Cuzza
Guest
Actually Jayden the the weakness of AUstralian batting and the supposedly strength of Australian bowling are linked. The pitches here are ridiculously bowler friendly with the number of result games in SHield cricket too high. This means we have bowlers with good shield records who get found out at test level and batsmen who were ordinary anyway, being made to look very ordinary. I am not quite sure how county cricket is better than shield, but I do think the English system of targeting and devloping test players is better than ours.
mactheblack
Guest
Look I am no expert on Australian domestic cricket or otherwise, neither am I a coach, but hope I can be allowed by tuppence worth. I think Australia's mindset of being the first to crack the four runs/over mindset in test cricket a few seasons ago, seems to have come back to bite them. Even with so much T20s and ODIs being played these days, you just can't keep up that kind of momentum when it comes to test cricket, whether it's due to natural instinct or not. In this era of late, it seems that teams are now in a rush to finish off games in fewer than five days. Can we blame T20? Maybe, who knows? How many test matches of even three days haven't we seen over the last few seasons? Are bowlers now giving batsmen their come uppance, especially on the juicier wickets - especially when the ball is seaming around? Or is it technical flaws in certain batsmen's armoury? Do the present generation of younger cricketers - fed on a diet of T20, be it at club or provincial level - have the ability to read a wicket, the conditions; do they study the opposing bowlers and understand the nuances of the five-day game? If you look at guys like Warner, Sehwag, Gayle, even Herschelle Gibbs - they are not your archetypal test batsmen. Now let's put Boycott, Langer, Haynes, Border, even Attpattu etc. in comparison. Get what I mean? In fact , I don't know if the former group should even be playing tests. Do you need a top order guy who bludgeons (as some are bludgeoners) few good blows, then plays a lifter straight at square leg for a nothing score? Is good top order Test batsmanship on the wane because of too much limited over matches? It was a joy watching Ed Cowan in one test in South Africa, (or was it Aus?)only because he seemed to understand the mechanics of an opening bat. More than that, he understood the nature of the wicket, (gauging from his post-interview) on tv leaving when he had to and playing when he should. It has been a pitiful, almost inexcusable sight to see the Aussie team's batting implosions of the past few seasons. Curb, curb curb your natural instincts - guys like Warner, Hughes should be told when it comes to tests. That's what making SA such a good test combination, they know each others' strengths and they are hungry to bat for long hours. When Ricky Ponting, who was the crux on which the Aussies' batting (okay a few seasons ago in his prime) batted well, the team excelled, but when he fell apart, it was evident most times the entire team did too. Then it seemed to fall on Clarke post-Ponting. Clarke is playing well, but some batsmen are not supporting him. Usman Khawaja certainly looked the part a few seasons ago when Aussie were obliterated in SA. Marcus North showed lots of discipline and application, but then his form dipped too. Then Jacques was given the cold shoulder. Now Hussey has jumped off the Aussie ship. What next? Who knows? Why is your top order battling in seaming conditions? What is the problem? Can we have some insight into Sheffield Shield please as we don't have access to the competition in SA. By the way the bowling attack is coming on strong it seems.
Jayden
Guest
Yeah but batsmen average over 50 in England Stark contrast gere where the best this season was Ferguson at 40 (last i checked) Australia has a depth of pace, thats already been proven. Th batting though pales compared to the gems Britain have been producing like Root for example.
Jayden
Guest
Apparently Trott... Forgive me for not being terrified
Nudge
Guest
County cricket isn't better than shield cricket Jayden. Magoffin and hogan are dominating this county season and they are only above average bowlers in Australia. Copland is another dominating and I reckon he couldn't get a game for nsw there for a while last season
Mukhtar
Guest
Excellent point! If bowlers 1 through 4 do their job, the batsmen could be called upon to contribute a few 'tactical' overs, definitely! Why is it that the bowlers nowadays are expected, and in Australia's case, delivering runs, while the batsmen can rest on their batting laurels? They all should develop their bowling potential. However, on recent evidence, the Oz batters are better served concentrating on their main jobs!!
Stephen Martin
Guest
As a Pom, I don't get to see much of your batsmen, and nothing of the non-test players, but anything you can get from them in English conditions is a bonus. Hughes and Khawaja have clearly shown problems with technique in the toughest conditions, and they and the rest will get plenty more of those in a dark, wet English summer. The important thing is not to think of them all as duds if they don't do well, any more than NZ can give up on the team that got bowled out for 68. They are the best you have, and they will find it easier in the return fi you stick with them.
dcnz
Guest
I am picking Clarke, Rogers and Khawaja to do well, Watson so so, and Warner to crash and burn
Praveen
Guest
Dizzy was one of the best bowlers I have seen, he deserves to be on that list
Timmuh
Roar Guru
Maybe, but there is no place in the top six for someone who is not among the best batsmen. Can he bowl a full time load and be better than one of Siddle, Pattinson or Harris? If not, there is no place for him - unless he scores huge runs in the tour games and shows a high probability of turning his batting failure around. The batting is weak enough without knocking it back further for a 5th bowler.
jameswm
Roar Guru
Who is England's 5th bowler?
jameswm
Roar Guru
You've got 2 in the top 4 who can be relied on to score consistently. Usuakky, we don't have any (Clarke at 5 and no Rogers).
jameswm
Roar Guru
Yes. A specialist batsman comes in otherwise, and it leaves us without a recognised 5th bowler.
Riddos
Guest
If (and it's a massive if), Watson is fit and bowling I reckon he could be one of our best with the ball in English conditions.
Praveen
Guest
I would go for khawaja over Hughes for this series as he plays te moving ball much better
Jayden
Guest
Well County is above Sheffield and boasts the english bowlers in English conditions with the duke ball, its the best bet at measuring how he'll go that you can get at this moment in time.
Praveen
Guest
+2
Tim
Guest
A Cynic or in fact Realist ( Depending your view point ) might suggest that the current crop of Aussie batsmen have reached their potential.......... Meaning outside of Clarke, all are fundamentally flawed and therefore not Test Class great to see you writing though 'Dizzy' with you being both a fabulous bowler and credit to the Baggy Green in all regards
cuzza
Guest
Mmmm, solid county cricket form? Not sure that counts as evidence. I am fairly sure Hughes spent 2 years working on the short ball too, didn't seem to help him vs Sth Africa.