Ashes: Australia's middle-order woes

This is the predicament that Australia find themselves in, unable to convert on a good bowling performance and crumbling to a poor total. And after having the majority of the momentum on Day 1, the team is on the back foot.

What does coach Lehmann and the Cricket Australia selectors put this down to? Maybe experience? Perhaps poor shots?

Or the possibility that Australia’s middle order is nowhere near as strong as it was twelve months ago, let alone the last time the Ashes were played?

The middle order, from first drop to number 7, is crucial for any Test team. Once the openers have seen off the new ball, these blokes need to fire and score some runs.

Currently, Australian cricket has some dilemmas concerning this area that need to be addressed urgently, otherwise the Australian Test team could see their world ranking drop; and, more importantly, the urn will not return to Australia.

During the first Test, Australia’s middle order (nos. 3-7) scored a total of 135 runs in the 1st innings and then tallied 125 runs in the 2nd.

Not surprisingly, the runs scored by the Australian in the middle order were not enough, and it was only due to heroic batting from the tail end gang led by Ashton Agar that Australia were not forced out of the contest.

In the first innings of the 2nd Test at Lords, Australia’s middle order flopped again, only scoring a measly 52 runs facing a total of 140 balls. And in this innings, the tail-enders couldn’t save face like they had in the previous two innings, leaving Australia with what looks likes an uphill battle in the 2nd innings.

But even after the end of the 2012/13 summer of cricket, spirits were high. Australia had the best batsman in the world in Michael Clarke, and we had a great crop of fast bowlers coming through. Although there was the retirements of Michael Hussey and Ricky Ponting, whose absence is only being felt now, Australia still was confident.

So what does Australia do? They have three options in front of them, and CA would consider trying only two of these.

First option
Gut the team and rebuild. This option is unlikely in Australian cricket considering the public and management’s high opinion of where we should be, but this is a good option. Keep the bowlers; but Rogers, Haddin, Cowan and Hughes all get the flick (Cowan and Hughes would still be around the squad in the openers role).

Replace them with young middle order batsmen, not just good batsmen, who the team can nurture and build around. Some names that come to mind are Joe Burns (23), Alex Doolan (27), Jordan Silk (21) and Matthew Wade (25). Burns could even fit into a leadership role in the future.

Second Option
Continue in our current state. This is the most likely approach to be taken by Australia and will give a couple of wins combined with losses, but will never result in a very competitively strong side as players who lose a bit of touch, drop off in form or get injured will struggle to remain in the team or break back into it.

Players will bounce around from position to position; Rogers will last the tour and get punted for the Australian Ashes, Hughes will move up and Watson to no. 6, with Warner returning. Not a stable environment to build team chemistry.

Third Option
Pick a team and stick with it. Very much like option 2, but with a slight twinge.

Pick a Test team, don’t change it. Simple. Unless someone is scoring massive amounts of runs and is pushing his claims and is just simply better, don’t drop the player for someone else.

Of course, a player can be changed due to injury, but the aim is to build continuity and chemistry within the team. Don’t just give away caps to players; make them earn it through sheer amount of runs.

Brad Hodge, Matthew Hayden and Hussey are walk-ins to this current Australian team, yet the hunger to make the Australian team and the maturing in first class cricket made them all better cricketers.

Cricket Australia and Darren Lehmann will have to decide a path and follow it.

And although a five-year rebuilding plan may not yield victories, we will reap the benefits in the future. Also, with our current team, we can beat England, and so it will be interesting to how the rest of this series shapes.