Australia’s first match against Sri Lanka was Australia’s first Twenty20 game since the World T20. It means it was the start of a new chapter.
That chapter could end in success or failure. It could end in David Warner and Glenn Maxwell out of the team, or as the best Twenty20 players in the world.
To make predictions about the future is no simple matter. To do so is fraught with danger.
But here’s how Australia’s new chapter started.
Bang, bang, BANG!
The first raised eyebrow came when Glenn Maxwell partnered Dave Warner. Maybe it was to start with a right-left hand combination, maybe it was to throw Maxwell straight into the action after his omission from the ODI squad, or maybe it was another reason entirely. But whatever the reasoning, the ploy worked.
In less than five overs, Warner and Maxwell had started the Australian innings in rapid mode with 57. At one stage in the partnership, 20 consecutive balls were scored from.
Sri Lankan captain Dinesh Chandimal recognised Dhananjaya de Silva’s birthday by not bowling him until after Powerplay overs, thus allowing him five men out on the boundary. As a birthday gift, that’s a bit like thoughtfully rescheduling a mate’s appointment with the tax office from the day of his wedding to the day after his wedding.
Dhananjaya returned the favour by bowling the first over in five that hadn’t gone for double digits.
But Maxwell wasn’t kept relatively quiet for long. His half-century was brought up with consecutive sixes against Kasun Rajitha, and perhaps to a faintly perceptible soundtrack of his critics, saying that his performance had proven that he had needed to be dropped from the team for his own good.
But then, it might not be likely they were watching at 12:13am on a Wednesday morning. Perhaps that faintly perceptible soundtrack was their snoring. Tough crowd.
Things looked grim for Sri Lanka when Usman Khawaja followed Maxwell’s lead and suited up. Sure, Khawaja wasn’t exactly following suit – Maxwell’s was diamond and gold studded compared to Khawaja’s relative business class suit – but it was enough to add to Sri Lanka’s growing worries.
Soon, Khawaja had passed his previous highest score of the tour. Actually I wrote that sentence well before he passed his previous highest score of 31 to see if the commentator’s curse would work for Sri Lanka, and when it didn’t, it was a sure sign that Sri Lanka were achieving a high proportion of their anti-goals.
By this stage, it was making Cameron White’s night in 2011 at Pallekele when he won the toss, elected to field, and saw Tillakaratne Dilshan score his only Twenty20century, look like a picnic at Mt Field National Park. It was a picnic equipped with Glen Grant and smoked salmon, as Australia passed 150 at the end of the thirteenth over.
Khawaja soon got out for 36, but it made three fifths of bugger all difference to the run rate, with 12 runs coming off the four balls immediately following his dismissal, the fourth of which was a six to the new batsman, Travis Head.
With the score reading 2-166 off 14 overs after that shot, the bowlers would have been forgiven for wanting less Head and more Beer, but with Michael Beer not in the team and scheduled to bat at five, no respite seemed likely for six more overs.
A good over now was one that went for 12, as the next over from Thisara Perera did, the damage exacerbated by poor fielding off the fifth ball that allowed an overthrow.
What happened on the ball Maxwell reached his hundred probably summed up the innings. He got the two runs he needed, and as Suranga Lakmal had been no-balled because his full toss was too high, he received a free hit straight after an adrenaline hit. By this stage I wasn’t sure who would have been more excited – him or Dan Liebke.
Normally I’d say Dan with the same speed that it takes most people to decide who’d win a 1500 metres freestyle between Grant Hackett and Eric Moussambani, but when Senanayake’s last over contained a four and three sixes, all from the bat of Maxwell, it gave me pause.
Sri Lanka could blame Maxwell for their bowling figures. But de Silva had no one to blame but himself when he dropped Head in the 17th over, and in keeping with the rest of the innings, Head rubbed salt into already gaping wound by hitting the next ball for four.
In the nineteenth, I finally got used to 15 runs constantly coming off an over. Head and Maxwell’s batting promoted freedom so much that David Leyonhjelm might have been left weeping in envy, if indeed he was watching or cares even slightly about cricket.
Head took over in the last two overs, ensuring that Australia recorded the highest ever T20 score by a team, but his control of the strike also meant Maxwell didn’t match Aaron Finch’s T20 record for the highest individual score by an Australian too.
I would love to be able to tell you more about the match, but it was 1:13am, Australia weren’t going to lose – OK I waited until Dilshan got out to make sure a repeat of Johannesburg wasn’t in any way possible – and I went to bed.
I had read the start of the first chapter. Consumption of the rest could wait for another day.
Andy Hill
Roar Pro
Finch has a horrible first class record, essentually ruling him out of contention for a test spot.
bearfax
Guest
Adam, Maxwell came in as an opener in this latest match and is often played in various positions. He's actually better in limited over matches higher in the order because it gives him more time to see the ball. There is no way we can judge him regarding test cricket because of how few matches he has played, which were all on the sub continent and in which the whole team but for Smith, Siddle and Mitch Marsh, failed. We can only assess him regarding longer form cricket through his first class performances. And at 27 years old he averages over 41, which puts him ahead of all but Patterson for those considered seriously for the next test batting positions.
adam
Guest
Maxwell couldn't play test cricket have you's seen him bat he's a limited overs batsman at best and the only reason why he has a strikerate of 163 is because he's come in at 5 and hit 6 of 1 there's a strikerate of 600
The Bush
Roar Guru
Agreed Pottsy, hence why I said "main". Certainly there is always the opportunity to play a spinning all rounder in India. Thing is though, as handy as Maxi's offies are in ODIs and T20s, his FC bowling average is really more in the mould of a batsman who bowls rather than a genuine all rounder.
Paul Potter
Roar Guru
"Australia will never have an allrounder that bowls spin as their main all rounder." I'd only add one caveat to that - unless conditions demand it. In Australia's most recent Test in India, on a three-day dustbowl at Delhi, Maxwell played as the fifth bowler (Watson didn't bowl on that tour). But yeah, the general rule seems to be that the all rounder must bowl pace.
The Bush
Roar Guru
Australia will never have an allrounder that bowls spin as their main all rounder. Either M Marsh works out and we're all happy, or he ends up a Watson-like divisive figure until we find the next one. Maxi's only way forward into the team is when Voges is sent out to pasture. Unless that happens sooner rather than later, Maxi'd wanna have a great shield season under the belt.
barry
Guest
You all talk about head Bancroft for tests but Aaron finch is a proving performer and would do better easily he was only behind Bailey in the Odi
Craig Swanson
Guest
Bear. I agree. Head has a way to go. Even though I have him as a possible for India due to his added slow bowling option. Hell we are blessed with young talent as you have outlined. I can see either or both Bancroft or Patterson getting a Baggy Green very soon while Handscomb and Stoinis are chances for an ODI cap as early as this year. I also have Handscomb in my Indian squad. Hilton Cartwight is another who looks the goods. Could develop into a rare genuine all rounder.. something we are aching for Mitch Marsh to do soon.
bearfax
Guest
I know the selectors have their eye on Travis Head Craig, but at this stage I'm not sure he is up there with several other young blades. I realise he is considered captain material and has that role for S.A. But his first class average is only 32.9, his international ODI average is 22 and his international T20 average is 24. Hardly what I would call impressive. Mind you he is only 22 and may well explode this coming Shield season...apparently has the talent. But I think he's far from ready for test cricket at this stage with a batting average not much better than Mitch Marsh...and we overlook Mitch's batting problems because of his bowling. At this stage I see him well down the the list of potential test batsmen. Bancroft, Patterson, Handscomb, Stoinis seem to me next in line and then there's the rising talents of Renshaw, Heazlett, Lehmann, Dean, Cartwright, all already with better averages and one is not to forget Maxwell.
Joel
Roar Rookie
Maxwell has never been given the opportunity to establish himself in tests. In the UAE he was meant to be a brute force weapon to get the spinners off their game and was under immense pressure to perform knowing he was unlikely to get another test if he failed. But given consecutive innings I could see him with a test average around 45 batting at 5, although I believe that Travis Head is being groomed for that particular spot. Maybe number 6 once Mitchell Marsh is dropped?
SP
Guest
Turtle Tavaré - haven't heard that name in a while.
VivGilchrist
Guest
Yeah, Watson was a real failure in the short formats...... right? Anyway, load the top order. The more deliveries Maxi get to face the higher Australlias total.
Matth
Guest
Marsh will come back in for Henriques
Paul D
Roar Guru
Bit of an open secret that, have read a couple of commentators saying the same thing. Not exactly rocket science. Not sure it applies to all conditions and against all oppositions though. There’s a strong argument to be made for putting a guy like Khawaja up to open as well given his expertise at finding the gaps in the field while it’s up. Problem is we have about 4 guys who all want to open. Finch, Warner, Khawaja, and now, Maxwell. At least Watson has retired, still can’t believe we took him to open in the T20 world cup.
Paul D
Roar Guru
There's talk Butler could come back in as a pure batsman. I think if you are going to play a guy like him - or Maxwell - in the test squad, they need to be put up higher than 7 - if you send them in at 7, the mentality is going to be to have a slog because they know it's just bowlers to come after them.. So that's my caveat if they do wind up coming back in - and I personally think it's a waste of their time and earning capacity, but whatever. I'd rather see Maxwell batting at 5. Same with Butler.
josh
Roar Rookie
Th people pigeon holing Maxi, either have no idea what they are talking about; do not read what drives the bloke, and generally don't know much about cricket and/or are Chris Tavaré fans.
Paul Potter
Roar Guru
Doubt they'll go down that route. Be reactive, not proactive, to relinquish Smith of the captaincy based on a limited sample size of results. If the argument is that no man can captain in all three formats because of the amount of cricket played, I'm much more sympathetic.
Paul Potter
Roar Guru
Dunno mate. I reckon he'll make it back at least once more. I hope when it does it comes at home and he's batting at five.
Paul Potter
Roar Guru
Don't forget Aaron Finch to come back in the opener's role.
Matt Sterne
Roar Rookie
There's a big insight into this match that I hope the selectors understand. It's also a key to us winning a World T20 in the near future... You ready for it? Here it is: Stack the top of the order with the highest career strike rates and we give ourselves the best chance to win more matches. T20 is a smash and bash type game. There's no time for finesse and getting yourself in. It's about striking, power, luck and boundaries. Maxwell has the world's highest T20i strikerate - by a country mile at 163. The next closest player is 150. That shows you just how good he is at striking runs fast. Please please please keep Maxwell at the top of the order and make way for higher strikers to up up also (including Head and Lynn if need be). Give these guys a chance to get us off to a flyer and we will win more matches.