About a week or so ago, India were searching their first win on the tour of Australia. A victory in an inconsequential fifth ODI later, India have notched up three more in the T20Is that followed to seal a rare whitewash victory in Australia.
Some might argue it was only a second-string Australian side that was put up to play India but then there’s not much a visiting side can do about that. They have to play what’s in front of them and India have done well enough in that regard in both the T20Is so far.
The other question that’s being asked is if Australia took these T20Is seriously.
It’s hard to guess how a conversation in the Aussie T20 selection committee meeting usually goes but it surely isn’t too hard to understand T20 cricket isn’t too high on their priority list. This is particularly so given their decision to rest two of their main batsmen in the middle of a series that was still alive.
And all that with the World Cup less than 45 days away.
It might have made sense to give Steven Smith and David Warner a break from this series had they been playing a lot of Twenty20 cricket even domestically. However, with neither having featured even in the Big Bash League, it’s a decision that smacks of belittling of the format.
ODIs and Tests obviously make for the bigger fish, what with Australia being the world champions and a potential Test world number one. However, surely the lure of holding the top crowns in all three formats together should push the selectors and the board into not consigning T20 cricket as a long-lost cousin of the older formats?
It’s one thing to take one’s time to understand the intricacies of a format later than the others, quite another to almost refuse to do it.
Teams all over the world have had their issues with a new format – India took the best part of a decade and two World Cup tournaments to zero down upon their ODI squad and tactics before pocketing the 1983 World Cup.
It’s not just about picking the best players for the format alone though. The lack of Twenty20 International cricket last year, in the lead-up to a World T20 is quite startling too.
In 2015, Australia played in just one T20I. Among full member nations, the next-worst was four matches. Pakistan played in 10 games, South Africa featured in 9.
In the lead-up to the World T20, Australia play a decent number of T20Is – these three against India and then another three in South Africa – but none in sub-continent conditions. According to the latest schedule of warm-up matched before that tournament, Australia don’t figure in any but that itinerary will be tweaked one hopes.
Overall, however, Australia have played 80 T20Is which is a decent number given there are just three others who have played more than that, which gives one hope last year’s figure was only an aberration and that the World Cup and the Ashes had a part to play there.
Speaking of the squad itself, there’s an obvious need for consistency. Players who are regulars in a format have a better chance of succeeding than those who get selected for the one-off game and then get dropped for a senior one.
Is it possible for a player to feature in all three formats and excel at each consistently? If it makes more sense to keep the high-class Test and ODI players away from T20Is, in turn grooming a specialist T20 side, is that the best way forward?
By playing Smith and Warner in one game and resting them from the remaining two doesn’t do this – it encourages instability.
Australian selector Mark Waugh, while commentating for the Indian broadcaster Star Sports in the third T20I, went on the defensive. He spoke about the need to release their main guys for the New Zealand series.
By doing that, he’s held his hands up and pointed fingers at how the cramped schedule made it impossible for them to pick their best team for the games.
Combine this with the fact Australia played only one Twenty20 last year, it makes me wonder if the board needs to re-look at their scheduling?
It probably also comes back to how seriously the format is taken.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
There are many centres in India where Test cricket gets decent crowds. Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi are just some of them, so it's not very bad. Mohali and a couple of others don't have any watching Tests though and there's often a thought why afford them a Test anyway. Generally speaking, however, it's T20s and ODIs which take precedence over Tests but I also know if it's cricket, it's willingly consumed by Indian TV audiences. So, the problem Tests face on lot of occasions is it's played during office hours as opposed to ODIs and T20Is which either start or stretch into the after-office. What's very interesting is these days, there're people consuming a lot of non-IPL domestic cricket on TV too - Ranji Trophy and its List A version. So there's some hope there.
Nudge
Guest
Very interesting Suneer. Cheers. Out of interest, what is the most popular format in India? I know clearly yours is test cricket, but wondering at a guess what the percentage would choose if it came to test, one day, or T20? Obviously the crowds are disappointing in India at test match cricket, but is everyone sitting on there couch watching every ball intently, or popping past the tv every 10 mins to check the score?
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
B7, Nudge, Interesting discussion this. Yes, I think more priority should have been afforded to a format in its World Cup year, especially when it's going to be played in tougher than home conditions, which is where my first surprise was. Other than that, I am myself not too big on T20 cricket and have almost stopped watching regular club T20Is unless it's work-related. Will follow the scores, will check out the key moments but to watch every ball gets nauseating in the end; quality over quantity for me for sure and I get it from Tests & ODIs (to an extent). But I can understand the value of T20 cricket. It brings new fans to the sport. It brings new teams to the sport. And it brings money to the sport too, which if used properly isn't such a bad thing. One of the reasons I am very, very interested in the World T20 is because it will see the likes of Afghanistan, Ireland (the regulars) and Hong Kong and Oman (the not-so-regulars) in the tournament, and that makes it very exciting. As far as the difference in reactions to Tests in NZ and the World T20 is concerned, it's obviously not comparable - for those who adore Tests, T20Is are going to not raise the hackles so much. But it's never about comparing Tests & T20Is in Australia, there's only one winner there I suppose. It's about the interest in T20 cricket in absolute terms and wondering if there's actually very little interest in T20Is, or there's interest that needs to be tapped by getting the schedules right, and by winning a World T20. The BCCI opposed T20 cricket in the 2005-07 period. Then, against all the odds, India won the World T20. And look where it's gone.
Prosenjit
Guest
I thought the attendence in the aus-windies test series was pretty low...
Prosenjit
Guest
You got it right,it's an easy excuse.t20 is high on popularity in aus.
Nudge
Guest
The fans are interested no doubt Suneer, but obviously it's the third preferred format for cricket Australia, which I'm happy enough about. Totally understand that more of an effort should be made to prioritise 20/20 matches prior to T20 world cups, but it looks like a jam packed schedule is to blame. Probably not going to New Zealand for the test matches was the way around it, which wouldn't have gone down well, or playing 3, 20/20 games instead of the one dayers, but I think NZ were real keen for 50 overs. Cricket though in Australia has become a heck of a lot more popular the last 3 or 4 years and you can feel it growing bigger every year thanks to the big bash. This year it just seemed ridiculously huge. My sister who groaned every time she walked past the Tv with cricket on when we were growing up, watched nearly every big bash game this year. My misses even yells out asking what the scores are every 10 mins or so. To be honest, I will be up watching the Aussie games when the World Cup begins barracking loud for Australia, but if we lose, I'll be over it in half a day. We lose the tests in NZ though, it will take me a month to recover.
Bobbo7
Guest
I think the care factor is limited. I've been to a few BBL games each season but I really don't care who wins that much and 5 minutes after it's over I've forgotten. It's just fun to watch. I'm a pretty big cricket fan but I honestly could not name the winner of the last T20 WC (maybe the WI?) the winner of the IPL or Carribean League of the English league. I follow all Test and ODI cricket but I just find I don't care about T20 results the same. The guys I work with are the same. Maybe I'm just out of touch, but it seems to me that while people watch T20 the care factor is pretty limited and I think CA treat T20 the way they do because the fans are not really that bothered.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Nudge, 48k v 44k isn't much of a difference, basically the two figures show that fans are very interested in watching this format of the game. Plus there are TV audiences, and again I am quite sure T20 cricket attracts those variety of fans too, whether it's club or international cricket. My point here is that is it really the fans aren't interested in the format or is it just a convenient excuse?
Nudge
Guest
"unless you are saying fans are more interested in club T20 than international matches, which I find very surprising" Suneer I went to the Strikers last minor round fixture and also the semi final. I reckon the last minor round match, 48,000 rocked up and the semi final 49,000. I also went to the T20 international at Adelaide oval which had 44,000 attend, in which at least 6,000 were Indian supporters. That's around 10,000 more attending club matches in Adelaide.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Yes VG, that's the most logical thing to do & yet, Australia play two Tests before the start of the World T20. Not even like the two Tests are first and then the three ODIs, which is still a similar brand of cricket to T20Is.
VivGilchrist
Guest
It all depends what's impending. Leading up to a ODI World Cup there is very little need to play T20I's, BUT leading up to a T20 World Cup there is very little need to play ODI's. As much as it hurts me they should've only had a 3 match ODI series and 5 T20's as there is a World Cup approaching. Also, the ODI's in NZ will be a waste of time as it should be a T20 series. Play the format that is most relevant is what I'm trying to say.
ajay
Guest
Get rid of usless 5 match odis series,make it 3 odis,3 t20s.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
I am not sure about the 'taking it seriously' bit. Scheduling it so close to the New Zealand ODIs that the selectors were left with no option but to release their key players, mic-ing up players and speaking to them, not knowing what their best XI is (because, after all they played just one T20I last season) are only some of the pointers to it.
Prosenjit
Guest
If CA did not care the big bash won't have prospered.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Yep, exactly, I was also looking more from a macro point of view, beyond this World T20. Can there be scheduling changes made to accommodate T20Is in order to not force selectors' hands like it worked out in this series? Can there be a specialist T20I team built around a few experienced blokes? Will be interested in watching over the next couple of years. Yes, remember that T20I, in which we probably saw the only 'red card' in cricket as well. McGrath got it for that 'underarm delivery' from Bowden. But at that stage, it was a bit of fun, now it's come a long way in many, many ways. Brought more fans to grounds & in front of TV, brought more cash to the coffers and to players and breathed a bit of life in the likes of West Indian cricket. Definitely looking forward to Australia's approach here on.
Prosenjit
Guest
If i'm not wrong australia took their best squad in every world t20 edition.their win/loss ratio against india was 5-4 prior to this series, not bad.however imagine india resting kohli and dhawan..the score would've been reversed.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
By the looks of things in the Big Bash League, it did look like they were taking T20 games seriously, at least in terms of supporting their team is concerned. Unless you are saying fans are more interested in club T20 than international matches, which I find very surprising.
Bobbo7
Guest
To be honest I don't think many the fans take T20 very seriously either. They are usually 50/50 games and just a bit of entertainment.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Suneer it will be facinating to see how much Australia's approach to T20Is changes in the lead up to the next World Cup, which they will host in 2020. It's too late for them to start taking the format seriously now ahead of the upcoming World Cup unfortunately and as a result they're going to struggle just to get out of their group. They've treated it as a joke from the very first T20 they ever played - against NZ back in 2005 when the teams were wearing gimmicky retro outfits and Glenn McGrath pretended to bowl underarm.
Prosenjit
Guest
They take it seriously, only this time they did not.hardly india's problem though..they capitalised on it gleefully and enjoyed themselves to a rare 3-0 whitewash.