The cancellation of Australia’s Test tour of Bangladesh will leave their new-look side even more vulnerable for the three-Test home series against New Zealand in a month’s time.
Australia will be packed with rookies after a raft of retirements and the Bangladesh series would have offered these new players a chance to acclimatise to Test cricket out of the media glare of the home summer.
Even though the conditions in Bangladesh would have been vastly different to those in Australia, the tour would have afforded important preparation for the vastly inexperienced New Zealand side.
Australia’s top seven will be littered with fresh faces when the first Test against New Zealand starts on November 5 in Brisbane following the retirements of Chris Rogers, Michael Clarke, Shane Watson and Brad Haddin.
The home side’s batting has been a major weakness over the past few years and will be greener than ever when the Kiwis land.
New Zealand always shaped as a formidable foe for Australia after making huge strides over the past two years. Now the sudden exodus of veterans mean the Kiwis must be licking their chops at the thought of overcoming their horrendous record in Australia.
New Zealand have built their best Test side since the 1980s, which also happens be the last time that they had an edge over their cross-Tasman rivals. Over the past 22 years, Australia’s win-loss record against New Zealand in Tests is an incredible 18-1.
Among those victories were a raft of crushing results – five-innings wins, three nine-wicket wins and one ten-wicket win.
It was not that New Zealand was always a woeful side, although at times they were, rather these lopsided results were indicative of the extraordinary strength of Australian cricket from the mid-1990s through to the late-2000s.
This time New Zealand will arrive in Australia as clearly the better Test team. Where Australia will be hastily trying to rebuild their XI, the Kiwis have a settled and confident team.
The biggest threat from New Zealand looks set to come from their superb new ball pair of Trent Boult and Tim Southee.
Swing has been Australia’s undoing time and again and few Test cricketers have better control over the moving ball than Boult and Southee.
Rogers was Australia’s best player of swing and with him gone and talk of captain Steve Smith moving back down the order to four, the home side could have two new batsmen in their top three. Boult and Southee would love that.
The venues for the first two Tests could be Australia’s saving grace. The Gabba and the WACA surfaces suit Australia more than any other pitches in the world.
Australia’s one clear advantage over the tourists will be pace. In Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc they have two quicks who regularly reach 150kmh.
Johnson’s record at the WACA is incredible, while Starc gains extremely sharp lift from hard decks thanks to his express speed and 196-centimetre frame.
For most of the Kiwi batsmen, this will be a new challenge. Never before have they faced this kind of pace on Test pitches so swift and bouncy.
Australia will need Johnson to relocate his mojo after a limp showing in the Ashes.
He, Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon will have to perform at, or very close to, their peak against New Zealand because Australia’s batting looks weak.
Without the chance to develop some chemistry and confidence in their new batting line-up on the tour of Bangladesh, Australia’s top seven will be ripe for the picking.
Frontrow
Guest
Really? Latham has played only 11 tests but has a batting average just under 40 and has five fifties and two hundreds to his name already and some of those 50's were big ones I would say that's a pretty good start to a test career for an opener and he has a very good defense and is very good against spinners as well as the new ball so that makes him a strong opener
Don Freo
Guest
...and you're OK with her "exploiting" me? That's very open minded of you. What's she like?
Don Freo
Guest
That makes no sense at all.
Really
Guest
My wife's a Pom and she has just read a few of your self indulgent comments and wants to exploit you " for a pathetic sledge" . Don Freo, surely you are not Australian, you are way to precious and sensitive to be one of us !???
Sideline Comm.
Guest
I seem to have hit a sore spot, haha. It's ok, calm down. You're very impressive. We're all impressed. I note that we're still not discussing the original points of the argument though. Seems that has gone out the window. I guess when you don't have an argument it's easier that way...
Frontrow
Guest
That is a dangerous batting lineup - a partnership between Smith and Williamson could destroy any opposition and it doesn't get much more fun even if you do get them out and Warner and Latham would really work well opening as they are very different players and Latham is excellent at rotating the strike as well which Warner I'm sure would appreciate
Frontrow
Guest
Actually I completely agree - the scheduled third test was sacrificed for an ODI
Don Freo
Guest
Well, that explains a lot.
Really
Guest
I have very high values thank you ! . The Ashes series was a Debacle not because of the Duke Ball or doctored wickets, but rather an embarrassing lack of skill at what is suppose to be elite level......oh.........and Tony Greig would be not turning in his grave, but laughing hysterically at Australia's efforts !
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Targa is spot on here. The fixturing for this home series favours Australia and should see them avoid losing the series. But the 2 Tests in NZ could be messy for Australia if the Kiwis prepare slower, seaming decks like we saw in England. It's a real pity that the series in NZ has been reduced from 3 to 2 Tests but after years of no Aus-NZ matches we rejoice in the fact we get 5 Tests in a matter of months. I think we are in for some incredible cricket, particularly in the 3 Tests in Aus.
Don Freo
Guest
You're a bit confused there Moosey. Entertained but complaining about it (again) anyway.
Nudge
Guest
Ummm, not so sure Southee's in Hadlee's class. Least I don't think
Frontrow
Guest
Yea it is funny isn't it...you retell a discussion you had with a well known Australian cricketer (and i could have mentioned a few others in there as well but because of the insecurity of people like you i didn't ) one that was pertinent to my discussion and suddenly it is name dropping. I forgot is a crime to have a conversation with famous person...and god forbid you tell anyone ..man that makes you a name dropper...sorry next time I will call him Bob the Builder...oh shyte that is someone famous as well .. typical reply from a small mined person
Sideline Comm.
Guest
Are we supposed to be impressed by the name drop? Stating that Hadlee, a very well noted swing bowler, produced an extraordinary spell of swing bowling at the 'Gabba 30 years ago is not proving anything. And for the record, I didn't say it doesn't swing. What a strange reply.
Frontrow
Guest
Yes sure that is why the all time Australian test bowling record is by one of the kings of swing Sir Richard Hadlee at the Gabba where he took 15 wickets and it was moving all over the place. I was ther that day and it was swinging big time through air and moving of the wicket but it was his sublime control that was unbelievable in that game. I spoke to Alan Border on the golf course in Melbourne a couple of Ashes series ago on a charity golf day and he was telling me it was probably the best spell of swing bowling he had ever seen. He said ask any Australian batsmen that day he was just totally unplayable ..and pretty much the entire series. He even told me that no one would admit it on that NZ tour but no one wanted to face him in any of the tests. 33 wickets in three test series and still a world record...so don't tell me it doesn't swing at the Gabba when 15 of them was at that ground moving everywhere
Frontrow
Guest
Would to know where you dragged that stat from - here is another from the Indian tour Trent Boult Speed (KPH): Fastest Ball: 143.4; Slowest Ball: 132.4; Average Speed: 137.6 But he has bowled quicker at the top end And you saying there iust no argument Australia has the quickest attack - what the? Did you feel a little insecure mate because I never said NZ's attack was quicker...not once did I say that ...nothing like a little misinterpretation... better check those glasses they obviously are adding words that aren't actually there...but hey what the heck nothing like a little reiteration...thanks for that...Also with Boult I never gave an average speed did I? Pity NZ is not yet selecting Adam Milne ..but alas they want to keep him out of 5 day cricket for now and he has had a run of injuries but have stated he will be in the side sooner rather than later and he is very quick.. But anyway as you do rightly say speed can be overrated at times and with both Johnston and Starc they both have a history of inconsistency...and more recently Starc especially.. I'll never forget Mark Tayler's comment when Starc took five for in the first Ashes test for plenty...He said flattering figures because he bowled a lot of rubbish all day wide and down leg... And that is Starc's problem with the red ball and in the second test that the Aussies won Starc only took two wickets the entire test...hardly anything to write home about.. For me in red ball cricket - Starc is overrated ...he lacks control too often and bowls too much rubbish...And he keeps going back to his yorker when life gets tough but top order players are just waiting for it...and then he starts bowling it too often in frustration with his lack of control In the white ball game players are swinging the bat more...making the yorker more effective against the top order and he seems to control the white ball better...hence his ODI ranking...but his red ball skills need work...lots of work There is reason Starc is only ranked 19th and he dropped two places after the Ashes because he was at 17th before then which tells a story In fact NZ has two bowlers ranked in the top ten Boult at 3 and Southee at 10 - Australia only one Johnston at 6..like I say Australia and their media overrate Starc with the red ball - big time...I would have Southee in my test side ahead of both Hazelwood and Starc Even Hazelwood is ranked higher than Starc at 15 and he deserves to be as well - Starc bowls far to much rubbish in tests and relies too heavily on his yorker to get him out of trouble and if that doesn't save him he starts to look nothing but quick and often wayward He may have a good spell any bowler can - even a pert timer - but his ranking is consistent with his lack of control with the red ball... his speed is irrelevant when he bowls like that against world class players
Don Freo
Guest
James T. It's funny how, last year, folk were prepared to praise Mitch Marsh's batting but trashed his bowling and this year the comments are inverted. Looking and knowing is more useful than guessing. Did you follow his batting on Australia's last 2 tours and in Australia last year?
James T
Guest
01 Warner 02 Bancroft 03 smith 04 marsh 05 Voges 06 maxwell 07 Neville 08 Johnson/Starc 09 Pattinson / Siddle 10 hazlewood 11 Lyon Haven't seen enough of Khawaja to form an opinion so judging on stats but could be subbed in for marsh. Mitch marsh isn't a test batsman( but a useful bowler) and if maxwell keeps improving could very easily average over 40. Bowlers are very strong but can be too attacking and leak runs, therefore I would consider a workhorse like Siddle who will concede 2 an over and bowl plenty of overs.
Don Freo
Guest
What atrocious values you have Mike. Only a Pom would exploit an icon of the game for a pathetic sledge.
Mike Huber
Roar Pro
Just as well it was cancelled, the Aussies would of got rolled ! Odds on favorites with million dollar contracts and they got steam rolled for 60 by the poms ! Poor old Ritchie Benaud would be turning in his grave, absolutely pathetic, not fit to wear the Baggy Green !