In a month’s time, on December 4, the Australian cricket team kicks of its home summer against the visiting Indians.
As always, there is much debate about who should and should not be selected for day one at the Gabba.
Prior to thumping the English last summer the questions and statements were gushing from journalists and armchair critics.
‘Get rid of Haddin’. He’s been our saviour in the first innings how many times? You forget? Every single Test.
‘Is Warner good enough for Test cricket?’ It appears so – leading Australia run scorer in the past three series (523 in the Ashes, 543 against South Africa and 239 against Pakistan).
‘Blood somebody new for Rogers’. The Ying to Warner’s Yang last home season with 463 runs in the Ashes series.
‘Harris is not going to last the series’. Yes, he is, and he will take 22 wickets bowling until his knee became unscrewed to help win the thrilling series in South Africa.
‘I wish we had Graeme Swann.’ No, we don’t – Nathan Lyon with 19 wickets.
But my favourite has to be, ‘What the hell is Mitch Johnson doing in the XI?’ Being the star of the 5-0 drubbing of our nemesis with 37 hostile wickets and nearly 200 handy runs (including the Ashes tide changing partnership with Haddin in Brisbane).
There were some that stated Australia would lose 5-0 and of course history shows that the Australian phoenix rose from the previous Ashes series to destroy their arch enemies (apologies for the terrible pun). We enter this December once again with questions we want answered, players we want to see axed.
Positives to be gained from the Pakistan series were few and far between, although things are not all doom and gloom by any stretch.
Let us start at the top to get us in the right mindset for the Indian Summer.
David Warner just keeps on keeping on. This is not at all a reference to his Abu Dhabi stint behind the stumps. The guy changes momentum of games, breaking bowlers’ rhythm and setting a more than a sound platform for the middle order.
There is a murmur that he is hit and miss. Restating, Australia’s leading runscorer in the past three series. If you compare his career statisitics with Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer and Mark Taylor – Hayden converted his Test innings into 50s or 100s 32 per cent of the time, Taylor 31 per cent and Langer 29 per cent. David Warner is at 36 per cent.
Steve Smith seems to go from strength to strength, and was probably the best player of spin in the UAE. His maturity in building an innings was a shining example as teammates fell around him. His dogged resilience was a welcome reminder to the other batsmen that Test cricket takes application.
There does seem to be a push for him to move up the order, yet it’s my belief he is better suited to five, playing a Michael Hussey type role that will be defined by the match situation.
Mitch Marsh showed that he is a real talent. An extended opportunity awaits in the home summer with pitches that will not only be easier to bat on but will also suit his bowling. With praise from Michael Clarke for his cricketing brain and obvious genetic toughness, Marsh has the ability to be a mainstay for Australian cricket in all forms of the game.
Mitchell Johnson just keeps on being awesome. In tough conditions for the quicks, Johnson produced some seriously quick spells which had all the Pakistanis on the hop at times. Once again producing some handy runs (I still don’t believe the stumping was out), he is set to be a thorn in the Indian summer.
These four players in form will form the nucleus of a successful campaign once the first ball is bowled in Brisbane. Certainly there is the possibility to some changes from the Abu Dhabi Test side, and I envisage a few.
Australia XI
David Warner, Chris Rogers, Shane Watson, Michael Clarke, Steve Smith, Mitch Marsh, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon.
So, all you naysayers, the boys are back – get behind them, they will once again do us proud.
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