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The major question facing the Australians in the upcoming Ashes is not only whether they can turn around a hefty defeat from a mere three months ago, but how they will achieve this in such a short space of time.
This revolves around their batting line-up – a line-up that has been a virtual anchor around the team’s neck for too long – becoming credible in Australia.
With their frequent inexplicable collapses and an inability to show the temperament or technique needed for Test cricket, one could view the top six in India as Australia’s worst ever.
That was a mere six months ago, making thoughts of a miraculous turnaround to the point of being competitive in this Ashes fanciful. Changes since and the promising signs seen have raised hopes that it’s possible.
Replacing the namby pamby types in the line-up with more traditional ones possessing temperament has been key.
Chris Rogers’ inclusion in England has been central in this shift, with him representing a Simon Katich rock-like presence to the top of the order. He’s the perfect accompaniment to the cavalier nature of his opening partner Dave Warner.
Rogers’ stonewalling dexterity has been like a tick in bowlers’ ears that they find impossible to dig out, all while driving them to distraction. This sets up a perfect situation for Warner’s destructive and game-changing potential to impact with less focus on him.
The possible success of this union, as hinted at in a 109 run partnership on a difficult Chester-le-Street pitch in the last Ashes, is compelling as we look forward.
Rogers and Warner set up the possibility of transforming the team’s top three from a craven weakness to strength overnight, laying the platform for middle order success.
Just think of the havoc batting maestro Michael Clarke could wreak walking in with the score at 3/240.
The omission of others has had the same compelling effect – notably, the axing of Phil Hughes and Usman Khawaja in England was a decision that had to be made.
One can respect the potential of both, but the gaping weaknesses in their current games were too easy for oppositions to exploit, making the batting unit resemble a six-cylinder engine with only four cylinders functioning.
Fans of both will ridicule the inclusion of George Bailey, but he is a risk that can be justified. The leadership he brings to the group supports his selection, as well as the fact that he’s one of the best players of spin in the country.
This last point cannot be underplayed when one reverts to the ogre-like presence that English off spinner Graeme Swann had over the last series.
It sets up a situation where the Aussies could very well turn the tables on Swann with the bunnies against spin gone, and the line-up now consisting of players adept against it. Factor in the accepted fact that Australian conditions are a known graveyard for finger spinners and one can see the possibility of Swann being neutralised.
Crucially, the batsmen need to respect the English bowling unit as a whole, and not obsess over Swann’s possible effect.
On this point, one cannot underestimate the effect that Tim Bresnan’s absence from it might have. He is the team’s defensive bowler who can keep things tight while possessing a golden arm in claiming crucial wickets.
With him out, England are likely to bring in an attack-minded bowler, which goes away from the certainty of Bresnan and falls in the high risk, high reward category. This could represent a weakness in the English attack to exploit.
Ultimately, the effect on proceedings that English bowling spearheads James Anderson and Stuart Broad have in comparison to how the batsmen deal with them will be the decisive factor.
With both having average records in Australian conditions, one could be forgiven for harbouring a semblance of belief in the Aussie batting rising.
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