Australia’s top five combined have made 11,370 Test runs at an average of 56. Whatever way you wish to interpret those figures, it’s hard to deny Australia’s batting is becoming intimidating and consistent.
The naysayers will have their predictable responses – the pitches are flat, Australia’s opposition is weak, umpiring decisions go in their favour repeatedly. But, surely, it is time we begin take the Australian batting line-up seriously.
New Zealand were not weak opponents at the beginning of the summer, when many pundits and fans had them as big chances to beat Australia in the first series and favourites to triumph in the return leg at home.
There was good reason for this optimism – the Kiwis had not been beaten in their past seven Test series and had a new ball attack rated by many cricket followers as elite.
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So it would be folly to retrospectively downgrade their talent and in doing so devalue the mountains of runs scored by the Australian top five this summer. There has been a reticence, even among many Australian cricket fans, to give full credit for the prolific performances of the Australian batsmen this summer.
That was prudent, to a point, because at home they were favoured by a disgracefully-flat WACA pitch against New Zealand and three Tests against a cardboard cutout West Indies team.
What cannot be dismissed is the runs the Australians piled up against the previously highly-rated Kiwis on sporting decks at the Gabba, Wellington and now Christchurch.
Australia’s commanding displays in those three Tests have confirmed their development with the bat is real and it is major. At the start of this summer Australia’s batting looked wafer thin.
They had just lost four long-term members of their top seven in Michael Clarke, Chris Rogers, Shane Watson and Brad Haddin, and boasted only two batsmen with any kind of experience or success in Tests – Steve Smith and David Warner.
It looked as though Australia would rely massively on that pair. Otherwise they had Usman Khawaja, talented but with an awful Test record, Adam Voges fresh from a giant Ashes flop, and rookie opener Joe Burns who the selectors had stiffed earlier in 2015.
Expectations on that group were very low. In particular, there was concern that they would be exposed on seaming decks in New Zealand.
At Wellington, Australia were in a precarious position at two wickets down for very few on a deck offering significant assistance to good fast bowling. It was exactly the kind of pitch on which the previous-era Australian batting line-up had flunked time and again.
But rather than folding, the new Australian line-up flourished. Notably, it wasn’t superstars Smith and Warner who led them to their mammoth total of 562 but the comparatively inexperienced Khawaja and Voges.
In this second Test at Christchurch, Australia were left reeling by a Brendon McCullum batting blitzkrieg and then lost Warner early on a pitch which again was rewarding quality seam bowling. Once more, Australia’s batsmen rallied and led them away from trouble into a position of dominance.
Once more, it was a lesser light who helped lead this charge. In the days before this Test, Burns had been in the spotlight with several media reports speculating his position in the team was getting shaky, while many fans online were criticising him heavily. It was wholly unjustified given he had averaged 42 with the bat this summer since returning to the Test team.
Yesterday, he played a monumental innings which should ensure we won’t hear questions about his value again for quite some time. Burns’ 170 has hauled Australia into a position from which they should win this Test.
What impressed most about his knock was the manner in which he grafted. In the morning session yesterday, New Zealand’s bowlers started brilliantly and had Burns tied in knots. The Queenslander showed admirable maturity in maintaining his focus and battling through this torrid period.
As so often happens in Test cricket, once such a storm is weathered, the waters smooth out and batsmen can cruise to the horizon. Burns did just that, looking increasingly at ease until eventually he held the Kiwi attack in his palm.
After 10 Tests, Burns has the wonderful record of 773 runs at 48, including three centuries. He is here to stay. So is Khawaja.
Throw in Smith and Warner, and the long-term future of Australia’s batting line-up looks many shades brighter than it did just four months ago.
Kris
Guest
The Australian top five has been exceptional this Summer. The mid-2015 failures in England and imagined future failures in India do not detract from that. The article does not suggest that this is an all-time great side, nor does it suggest that these successes are guarantees of future successes. It simply argues that the successes this Summer are worthy of celebration and respect. On a separate note, arguing the relative merits of batsmen based solely on their averages is ridiculous. There are a number of comments below complaining that Voges' average places him as the second best batsman after Bradman. If anything, this illustrates the folly of relying so heavily on averages. There are reasons why, outside of the comments section on The Roar, people don't try and argue that Batsman A is a better batsman than Batsman B because his career average is 3.1 runs higher.
Muhammad Irfan
Roar Rookie
Artistry in batting is missing as very few batsmen are equipped to play on all kind of surfaces. we have seen too many low scores on testing conditions whether it is turning or seeming. australian top 4 are well setttled now but still need no.5 and 6 as voges is one bad series away to end his carrer and Marsh yet to cement his spot as no 6
Muhammad Irfan
Guest
Australia still need couple of batsman as no.6 and 7 have not been tested in this summer. they were tested couple of time but failed to cement the spot. if top order failed one can predict another low score from aussies as it happened in ashes.
Offsideman
Roar Rookie
This is just so sour. Man, if you can't enjoy cricket anymore that's your problem don't go ahead and blame bowling for your lack of enjoyment. Even writing those words you should have realised how good of a test match this has been! What more do you want? Glenn McGrath and Curtly Ambrose to spring back into test cricket with Warney fresh from the island and looking tan? These bowlers are starting their careers as confident test bowlers ( for the Australians ). And for the kiwis if your telling me bout didn't have venom or Southee didn't bowl a tight line and Wagner didnt rattle the Aussies with his short ball foray? This was a great test match and you should be ashamed for your words. Let's go Aussies tomorrow!
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
When we play teams other than WI and NZ I'd say.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Reminds me of the summer where Australia last smashed England 5-0. After the summer everyone was talking Australia down saying England were just a poor team etc. But towards the end of that summer I picked up one of those cricket magazines in the newsagent that preview the summer and saw how they basically went through and stated that England had Australia covered in every area, were just a superior team, and while Australia might get a bit closer in home conditions it was hard to see anything but an England victory. That was how it was viewed coming into the summer. But after the result everyone started talking like it wasn't a big achievement because England just wasn't very good. Now we are getting very similar things with New Zealand. Before the summer everyone was saying how Australia would be pushing it to beat NZ at home, and few could see Australia beating them in NZ. Suddenly now we get people talking about how NZ were never really that good and Australia really have just won against another poor team.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
That attitude is what leads to losing matches. The only reason Marsh should remain and remain at 6 right now is because there is no suitable alternative. Personally I'd keep Marsh but I'd be looking at other options with the view of playing him at 8.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Yes. Maybe they've all just gotten better all at once.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Yeah. Deciding on the basis of only good scores in favorable conditions, and a lean stretch. It's been disproven with a good score in less favorable conditions, and as a result shows it's not a lean stretch. Looking at runs scored recently isn't just "looking at stats". It's looking at a batsman's currency.
My2cents
Guest
Yeah. Elyse Perry is great. A really good advertisement for Australian cricket. Both as a cricketer and as a media personality.
Zim Zam
Roar Rookie
'Hit and giggle'? I mean, McCullum and the Kiwis could have had me fooled, but these actually are test matches, you know.
Jameswm
Guest
LOL - great call matt. I sometimes wonder the same myself.
Jameswm
Guest
You said nothing counts till Australia score runs in England. I said why doesn't the same rule apply to India scoring runs in Australia?
bryan
Guest
I think this point is overlooked a fair bit. I think certain players, like Warner, Lyon, Smith are able to grow in the spotlight of test cricket. I think other players, growth doesn't happen in the spotlight, they can't focus on improvement while in the spotlight. Although I think now that he knows he belongs, Khawaja will be able to improve in the spotlight
soapit
Guest
perhaps wait until you edge ahead in the home and away aggregate before you get too excited. mind you i suppose id take what i could get too if i were english
danno
Guest
6 - 7 are hardly making any runs. The top 5 is covering for them. Time for Maxwell to get a chance at 6. M Marsh to find form in the Shield.
ChrisB
Guest
And why not enjoy T20 which does have a more even playing field. Surely this is something to be encouraged rather than bemoaned?
ChrisB
Guest
You're a fan of the history of cricket. Can you honestly find a period other than, maybe the 70s to late 90s, when more than 3 or 4 countries were in the running for number one? For most of history it's generally been England or Australia, so even the slim pickings today is better than most times. And when you think of it, for people in strife or poverty torn countries like Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka (during the civil war) the state of test cricket is really a fair way down the list of concerns
ChrisB
Guest
I suspect it's probably fans who, in most countries, have decided that they have better things to do with their time than watch five days of test cricket. You can;t really argue with that. It really is (unfortunately) an historical anomaly
ChrisB
Guest
Maybe they've improved and worked on their game. It does happen you know