Drop Joe Burns, banish Usman Khawaja, lynch Mitch Marsh – the overreactions are coming thick and swift in the wake of Australia going down 2-0 in the Test series in Sri Lanka.
It is understandable that Australian fans would be gutted and furious with the consecutive spineless displays by the Australian batsmen at Kandy and Galle. But there is little to be gained from panicked decisions at the selection table.
Many people on social media and sports websites like The Roar have stated with absolute certainty that the team would benefit from dropping one or more of Khawaja, Burns and Marsh for the third Test. Do these fans believe Australia have wonderful cricketers, with proven track records in Asia, just waiting on the sidelines for their chance?
Is that the reason that Australia have lost so badly in Sri Lanka – that they didn’t pick the right side? Hardly. Even their two best batsmen, Steve Smith and David Warner have struggled, despite both having batted well against Pakistan in the UAE during their last Test series in Asia.
Well managed cricket teams do not panic in the wake of a pair of defeats. Badly managed sides do. Australia used to panic all the time. In their darkest days of the past 25 years – between 2010 and 2013 – it was impossible to predict what the Australian Test XI would look in two matches’ time.
Not only was the personnel liable to change significantly, but even the players who survived the cull were likely to be stuffed into a new role. So ludicrous was the chopping and changing of the team that, at one point in 2013, six different players were tried at number three in the space of six Tests.
Glenn Maxwell, Ed Cowan, Phil Hughes, Michael Clarke, David Warner and Shane Watson all had a crack at first drop amid this strategic madness. Only months earlier, it had been Rob Quiney who had been tasked with batting three, and only months later it was Alex Doolan who occupied the position.
The chronic instability in the team between 2010 and 2013 surely must have bred paranoia among the players and affected their ability to play with confidence and a clarity of mind.
In this context, consider the case of Mitchell Starc, who has been phenomenal in the two Tests in Sri Lanka. No single Australian player of the past five years was messed around by the selectors worse than Starc.
Unbelievably, the paceman’s first 14 Tests were spread across 11 different stints in the Australian team. Time after time after time he was brought into the line-up for just one Test and then immediately rested, rotated, dropped, call it what you like.
Meanwhile, pundits and fans routinely criticised Starc for lacking consistency and accuracy.
How, exactly, is a young express paceman expected to operate with “consistency” and “accuracy” when they are never given even the slightest chance to establish themselves in the Test format?
When finally Starc was offered an extended run in the team, four years after his Test debut, he duly flourished. Starting with the fourth Test against India in January last year, Starc has been selected for every match for which he has been available.
In that period he has quickly become one of the elite bowlers in Test cricket, snaring 63 wickets at an average of 22 from 13 Tests, nine of which have been played outside of Australia. Starc is the embodiment of what can happen when you give talented players sufficient time to prove themselves.
As he has run amok in Sri Lanka, Burns and Khawaja have flopped. Neither has looked to have a clear plan of attack against spin, with Khawaja looking particularly flummoxed, even when the ball has not been turning. They have been the two worst performers among Australia’s top six.
But to dump either of them, on the basis of two poor games, would be reactionary and short sighted. In Khawaja’s six Tests prior to this series he made 713 runs at 102, including four tons from just eight innings. The most recent of those hundreds was a pivotal 140 made against the Kiwis at Wellington after Australia had crashed to 2-5 on a green seaming pitch.
Burns, meanwhile, entered this series in Sri Lanka having dominated in his last Test, against New Zealand in Christchurch. The opener’s 170 in the first dig set that Test up for Australia and he then made a crucial 65 in the second innings as Australia chased down 201 to win the series 2-0.
After 11 Tests, Burns has made 872 runs at 42, including three centuries. Meanwhile, England are sticking fat with opener Alex Hales who from ten Tests has made only 555 runs at 29 with zero tons. Dumping Burns or Khawaja now would be a panicked decision.
Particularly when you consider that their replacement would be a 33-year-old in Shaun Marsh who has a worse Test record than both of them. There is more justification in considering the position of Marsh’s brother Mitch.
The all-rounder has now gone 24 Test innings since making his last and only half century. Marsh actually has looked OK with the blade in Sri Lanka, but has found a way to waste starts of 31, 27, 25 and 18. The question is whether Australia would be improved for the third Test were Marsh replaced by fellow all-rounder Moises Henriques?
The 29-year-old New South Welshman is not nearly as effective with the ball as Marsh and his first-class batting record is no better than that of the 25-year-old Sandgroper. Henriques made a pair of fifties on Test debut in India, followed by scores of 5, 0, 0 and 2 before he was dropped.
Australia should resist the urge to make major changes to their team for the third Test. Burns and Khawaja, in particular, do not deserve to be dumped off the back of two poor Tests. Hasty decisions will only hurt Australia beyond this series.
Craig Swanson
Guest
Don. I did play some cricket yes. But I am an avid student of the game. Khawaja impressed me with his spin play in our conditions last summer. He looked confident using his feet and lofting. Great to watch. Ussie has shown us that he does not have the same confidence against the big turning ball on these Asian decks. I would compare him to a rabbit in the headlites. I too believe he does have the goods but I also see a lot of hard woirk in front of him before he can convince the selectors he deserves to go to India.
Craig Swanson
Guest
I have been posting the same on other sites. Shaun Marsh's selection for the final SL test was on a horses for courses basis as I see it. The last time he toured SL he scored a ton on debut and averaged around 80. Yes he batted a gutsy century this test and that will keep him as Australia's first choice reserve batsman for the summer. Khawaja and Burns can not afford to open the door for Marsh in the summer as he is now almost a cert to go to india.
Don Freo
Guest
I suspect, that like most of us Craig, you would have played some cricket. Cricketers know the idea that someone "...just can't play against spin" is only a spectator or commentator's idea. Players know it is just a matter of adjusting. Elite players like Khawaja and Smith will certainly adjust. A failure here provides experience that may serve well to prepare them for India. Ussie has the goods. I'd back him. I don't share the same confidence in Burns. When some of the young stars (Renshaw, Bancroft...) get their chance, Joe will be a depth player.
craig swanson
Guest
Based on his mild capitulation to good, accurate spin in SL do you honestly believe Khawaja should go to India? On this form no one in their right mind would pick Khawaja and couple of others for what will be an even tougher test against quality spin. CA should now adopt a horses for courses selection policy for away games. Those with a modicum of ability against spin should be picked for Asian games while good players of the moving ball should be picked for England.
Sam
Guest
I agree! I think for the Sheffield Shield each state should have a unique pitch that emulates an overseas destination. i.e. South Australia and maybe Northern Territory, North QLD develop a ‘raging turner’ that matches Sub-Continent conditions. Victoria and Tasmania to have green tops to match English conditions (could also introduce Duke balls for these games). Brisbane, Western Australia to have fast wickets similarly to what Australia and South Africa are known for. This way all state players (batters and bowlers) are tested on a range of different pitches throughout the season. I think it would help create more well-rounded players and help identify players that have strengths in particular conditions. Not saying these changes have to made at each states premier oval (GABBA, SCG, Adelaide Oval) but could be done at the smaller grounds (Alan Border Field in QLD, North Sydney Oval in NSW or regional areas) which is not uncommon for Sheffield Shield games anyway.
Broken-hearted Toy
Guest
He's looked the worst of the lot against spin which really takes some doing.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Actually, to that extent he could probably be considered a good batting consultant for those conditions because he struggled for a long time but towards the latter part of his career finally managed to work out how to have some success there. So he might be able to help them with things that someone who just always batted well in those conditions might struggle to as he understands having to try and work out something that doesn't come naturally.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I understand what you are saying Ronan, and Starc was basically better than the rest of the Australian team put together in this match, but it was a team with 2 specialist spinners selected because it was a spin bowlers pitch. They didn't bowl well, didn't build any pressure and got smashed, but given the conditions and selections, Smith had to try and back his spinners to an extent. Not saying his Captaincy hasn't been lacking, but you can't blame him for trying to put faith in his spinners to take wickets for him.
Nova
Guest
Ponting averaged 24 in India. 'Nuff said.
TheCunningLinguistic
Guest
For the Indian Tour, I agree with the call for Handscomb and Bancroft, with maybe SOS and Zampa too. Probably pick O'Keefe if he has healed. I'd be tempted to ditch Burns, Khawaja, Voges, Holland and Lyon. Big calls? Hells yes, need big balls.
TheCunningLinguistic
Guest
An eminently sensible comment, Don- I concur. Burns & Khawaja have shown they can't handle decent spin, it's definitely time to give Shaun Marsh a go. He has proven history in SL.
TheCunningLinguistic
Guest
I'm with ya, Don. What a rubbish comment... Second highest run scorer for Australia this series, and a required bowler. Maybe engage brain before commenting?
Jacko
Guest
And Adelaide used to be a turner but now every pitch has to be a drop-in so all becoming the same
Perry Bridge
Guest
Once upon a time we had a turner in Sydney.
michael steel
Guest
Smith's years of captaincy are already unmemorable and will stay that way in the future.
BurgyGreen
Guest
Maybe CA should prepare an absolute dustbowl in Darwin and make every Shield team play at least one game there each season. Teams could also be required to play two spinners.
Perry Bridge
Guest
Ever since Mark "AUDI" Waugh returned from Sri Lanka in '92 on that back of 5,56,0,0,0,0 and held his place while Dean Jones produced 276 at 55.2 and never played again despite 77 & 100* in his last test - - ever since then the Australian selectors have held a belief that what happens in Sri Lanka stays in Sri Lanka. So - I'm comfortable that the (current) selectors will stick to type and ignore the exposure of Burns and Kawaja as being absolutely hopeless in these conditions. Why would it matter? The series is gone so the 3rd test matters not. 4 innings in and it's clear that Burns and Kawaja are no nearer an executable plan now than at the start of the series. Surely - just one decent bat to show they can figure it out. Burns is interesting - 2 stand out tests last summer and outside an MCG 100 he pretty well did nothing. He even found the step 'down' from test to Shield a challenge - after 235 runs in Christchurch he managed only 16 in his last 4 hits in the Shield. He kicked off last summer at home in Brisbane and smashed 200 in his 2 hits. Combined with Christchurch - 435 runs from those 2 test matches. Outside of this - 257 runs from 9 hits at around 28. The MCG 100 the only score over 40. Now - in SL - he's only reached double figs once - the other 3 knocks amounting to 5 runs from 21 balls - - still - that's better than how Waugh finished off (although he did start with 5 and 56). So - the main question is - what does it matter if Burns and Kawaja fail in the 3rd test. I suspect the selectors will effectively ignore it. But should they? What does Ronan advocate? For me - we learn far, far more about Burns, Kawaja, Voges in this series than we did all of last summer on boring test pitches against pop-gun attacks.
Perry Bridge
Guest
Ah well - it worked in getting Davey Warner into Test cricket. The thing about Finch is he can only bat against a spinning white ball and not a spinning red ball.
Tanmoy Kar
Guest
Hence Australia need to bring Zampa & play Bird in place of Lyon & Holland. Also they have to drop Khawaja & play S.Marsh.
Tanmoy Kar
Guest
At least Khawaja should be dropped as he has no idea of how to play spin. He may be recalled once again when Australia will play at home.