Two matches into the World T20, and Australia’s perceived strength is emerging as their weakness, with the balance and method of their batting a concern.
Chasing a below-par total of 157 on Monday, against a Bangladesh team missing two of its best bowlers to suspensions, Australia crawled over the line.
Despite having a terrific start to their chase, at 1-95 after 11.2 overs, Australia’s batsmen conspired to inject some intrigue into the match, losing 6-57.
There are two key issues at play here – Australia’s inability to rotate the strike with singles, and the over-abundance of all-rounders in their top seven.
There is a sense that once opponents get past the Australian top order, they can run through the side. That is because the enigmatic Glenn Maxwell is batting one spot too high at five, followed by two players who have been in poor form with the blade all summer in all-rounders Mitch Marsh and James Faulkner.
One of Marsh or Faulkner has to go. Australia’s desire to field seven bowling options is leaving their batting line-up imbalanced.
They need another specialist batsman in the side and they just happen to have an elite player sitting on the sidelines in Aaron Finch.
Forget that he’s the number one ranked T20 batsman in the world, as those ratings are fluid and sometimes nonsensical. Focus instead on the fact that, after five years of playing T20s for Australia, Finch averages 40 with the bat.
There have been some strange arguments against Finch being made online. I have seen it repeated again and again by posters on cricket websites and forums that Finch is coming off a poor Big Bash League season. The reality is he averaged 50 in the BBL.
The prevailing criticism of Finch, however, is the claim that he has a poor record in Asia.
This also is false. He has excelled in his six T20s for Australia in Asia, cracking 252 runs at 42, including three half centuries.
Crucially, Finch also has vast experience playing T20s in India, with 39 IPL appearances to his name. His IPL career started slowly, but he has adapted well to the foreign conditions – over his past 28 IPL matches he has a solid average of 31.
Finch should come into the side at three, with captain Steve Smith moving to five. Smith is bogging the team down at three, scratching around at the crease in both innings this tournament while scoring a combined 20 from 20 balls.
Realistically, has not earned his place in the team, with a batting average of 19 after 28 T20Is. While Smith started his Twenty20 career as a spin bowling all-rounder, his recent figures while playing as a frontline batsman are no better.
In his six T20Is this year, Smith has made only 110 runs at 18, while scoring at a slow strike rate of 119. Right now, Australia would be better off with Finch still captain and Smith on the bench.
But dealing with reality, the current skipper looks better placed at five, where he should focus on merely turning the strike over and acting as a foil to power strikers Warner at four and Maxwell at six.
Rotation of the strike has been a major problem for Australia so far in this tournament. Their batting line-up is lauded for its power and dynamism, but they are relying too heavily on striking boundaries.
Even their best batsman of the tournament so far, Usman Khawaja, has been poor in this regard. Amid his otherwise fine innings of 58 against Bangladesh, Khawaja allowed 15 dots from his 45 deliveries faced.
In high level T20 cricket you can’t afford to not score off one-third of the deliveries you face. Overall against Bangladesh, Australia played out 38 dot balls from 111 deliveries, which works out at 34 per cent of balls faced.
It was even worse against New Zealand, when dots accounted for 39 per cent of the deliveries Australia played. Particularly once the power play is over and the field is set deep, it is inexcusable for the opposition to be able to deliver so many dot balls.
T20 bowling attacks covet dot balls not just for the obvious reason of keeping a lid on runs but because a group of them often creates pressure which prompts an ill-advised glory stroke from a batsman. It is exactly these sort of cavalier shots which have brought the Australian batsmen undone time and again over their two matches in this tournament.
If Australia are to get out of the group stage they must address this issue along with the imbalance of their batting order.
Ross Fleming
Roar Rookie
Well said steven, perry you really do pick on khawaja unfairly, did you watch the game where khawaja and smith came in 2 down for 5 against NZ and khawaja in particular hit a big one scoring 140, surely you have better things to pick on khawaja on. Also did you watch his shield innings in 2014 where he scored 150 on a green belreive oval track against Hilfenhaus, Faulkner, Bird where Tasmania scored only 110. One thing khawaja can do is score on tough tracks and he does this through a solid technique which very few possess, smith and warner are perhaps the only ones who can do it. Time for you to stop blindly putting finch's name up just because your beloved player lost captaincy
ThugbyFan
Roar Guru
Who is guiding the Aus team selections, R.March of 52 beers fame or Boof? You don't need a plethora of damn all rounders, you need BATSMEN capable of doing damage. A.Finch has got to open. He is right-handed so you still keep the duel-handed openers. Swap D.Warner and S.Watson to bat at 3 or 4 depending on which opener gets out first. If Finch gets out, bring in Watson at 3 and if U.Khawaja gets out, bring in leftie Warner. That way you have a right-left combo till deep into the innings. So team is A.Finch, U.Khawaja, S.Watson, D.Warner first 4, then S.Smith at 5 and G.Maxwell at 6. M.Marsh or J.Faulkner at 7 (perhaps depends on pitch and maybe even swap for Australia's greatest spinner (according to boofhead Rod Marsh) the one and only A.Agar), and P.Nevill at 8. J.Hastings at 9, NCN at 10 and A.Zampa at 11. In the bowling, you have your top spinner Zampa + Maxwell's dollies, 1 genuine fast (NCN) and either 3 all-rounder medium pacers or 2 mediums plus 1 so-called spinner. If really needed, you have Finch, Warner and S.Smith all capable of putting down one or 2 reasonable overs. The team at present is totally unbalanced. Its like a 6-cylinder car spluttering along with 2 cylinders shot. I reckon my team above would eat the team put out so far for breakfast. To be totally frank, I personally don't think S.Smith should be in the T20 side. I would have C.Lynn in his spot but that's another story.
Perry Bridge
Guest
for those advocating it - why should Watson be top 3 at all? Just wondering what the rationale is.
mariachi band fan
Guest
No. Only because Brearley was an excellent tactician...
mariachi band fan
Guest
You're long winded Perry and often post bs but on this I have to agree totally.
Praveen
Guest
Correct Khawaja is the best player in the power plays
Don Freo
Guest
How has time run out? Marsh has performed. Did you watch the NZ game? Faulkner is struggling. Marsh and Maxwell must play as the 2 all rounders.
TC123
Guest
The advantage NZ have when it comes to selections is they don't have the depth that Australia have. It makes picking Guptill an easy decision whether he has had form on these sort of pitches in the past or not. Sometimes having too many players to choose from makes the selection process harder. Especially when your selectors are retards.
JoM
Roar Rookie
Warner is not in this tournament because he has been taken out of his normal position. That's the only reason and one that needs to be fixed.
JoM
Roar Rookie
Australia have 4 openers. Out of the two that are currently opening, one is doing his job and the other is doing as he usually does except for the very rare occasion. Either of the two that have been taken out of their previous position need to be batting in the power play.
Steve Whitey
Guest
If you include 2 spinners in the team like in 1st match and only let them bowl 1 over each, you will need more than 6 bowlers. Agar bowled crap but giving Zampa only 1 over was silly. Finchy should have played in that match!
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Uzzie isn't a finisher, he's a starter. His record in the power play is awesome. He's really good at getting it through and over the field while it's up.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I have always believed that you don't need that many bowlers in the team. 6 bowling options is plenty. The only reason for having more than that is because the allrounders being picked are all better than the next best specialist batsman.
bill kardiasian
Guest
aussies have no chance of proceeding in this comp Pakistan will make a jordan knockery of the game warner is not in this tournament at all he is a daydreamer
Dog's Breakfast
Guest
Great observation that. Don't know about anyone else, but the way Bailey was treated during the World Cup left a nasty taste in my mouth. Win or lose here, I feel Finch has been shafted as well.
soapit
Guest
yep seems like if you just stay away from his big hitting zones he's not got any other ideas.
The Runt
Guest
Finch is to WT20 as Bailey was to WC.
The Runt
Guest
But he is better than both of them.
Steve Whitey
Guest
yes, Finchy should open the batting probably with Warner or Khawaja. Does anyone else see how ironic this is?? He was dropped as T20 captain because it would be easier to leave him out of the team and now we have a captain who is struggling with his batting but can't be drop.
steven
Guest
So khawaja batting with aus at 2/5 in nz on a green deck 1st test and hitting 140 odd means nothing?