Turn the clock back a season, and the Australian batsmen David Warner, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith, and Adam Voges were accumulating big runs.
Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon were well and truly among the wickets.
In eight Tests the baggy greens rattled up six big wins over the Windies and Kiwis to the tune of an innings and 212, 177, 208, three wickets, an innings and 52, and seven wickets, with two draws – not a loss in sight.
The draws were at the SCG thanks to a heavily rain-affected Test, the second draw at the WACA after 1183 runs were amassed in the Australian and Kiwi first digs.
No problem with Australian mojo, bang, and clout in that summer.
But in the last five Tests the Australians have been on the wrong end of five heavy defeats with the loss of only one very important cricketer – the retired Mitchell Johnson.
The rest have all been there, but just shadows of their former selves.
In those five Test defeats by 106, 229, 163, 177, and an innings and 80, the Australians have scored 1043 for the loss of 100 wickets. The total of the three Sri Lankan and two South African wins – 2848 for the loss of only 88 wickets.
Average per wicket – Australia 20.43, opposition 32.36.
Those stats explain the heavy losses, but not the dramatic drop in batting standards compared to last summer.
That explanation comes from the best Australian batsmen in the country’s inability to combat Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath (28 wickets at 12.75), and the South African pacemen Kagiso Rabada (12 at 18.66), Vernon Philander (10 at 16.30) and Kyle Abbott’s nine at 13.11.
So who will go for the pink ball day-night Test against South Africa in Adelaide where the visitors are hell-bent on inflicting Australia’s first home whitewash in 139 years?
The only important Test is the next one, especially to avoid a history-making whitewash.
After meekly going out the back door in the last two Tests, Australia desperately needs a strong-arm batsman who has the basic techniques, and no fear of any bowler.
That’s Cameron White.
Who gives a continental he’s 33, and hasn’t played the last of his four Tests since 2008? He has cracked 64 and an unbeaten 104 in his two digs for the Vics in Sheffield Shield this season, among his career 20 first-class centuries, and 45 half-centuries.
On the proviso Shaun Marsh’s broken little finger will be right for Thursday week, there’s only one spot left in the middle order when Adam Voges and Callum Ferguson are dropped.
If Moises Henriques could cut the mustard it would be his, but he constantly blows his chances.
Mitchell Marsh had his ears clipped with 12th man duties in Hobart, and with no other all-rounder candidate knocking the door down, give him his last chance in Adelaide to balance the side.
And while the selectors are at it, correct the wrong of playing Joe Mennie in Hobart by picking Jackson Bird for Adelaide.
So the Adelaide team should look like this:
David Warner (vc)
Shaun Marsh
Usman Khawaja
Steve Smith (c)
Cameron White
Mitchell Marsh
Peter Nevill
Mitchell Starc
Nathan Lyon
Josh Hazlewood
Jackson Bird
Rob
Guest
I question the logic in picking M. Marsh at 6. again. He is value at 8. instead of Lyon who needs to go back to state cricket. Maxwell (27 yld) averages 42 is a gun in the field and bowls handy spin. Shaun Marsh (33 yld)averages 40, White(33 yld) averages 39. Lehman and Paterson are in the mix because they are younger. Renshaw (20 yld) averages 41 opening. He could be a smokey considering he has the patients to bat for long periods and accumulate runs.
Trenno
Guest
I'd pick Cam White. Shaun Marsh won't be back yet but deserves his spot back when he does. Voges is gone so we need a hard nosed pro to come into the team. He also is a gun first slip. I can get my head around why people are baulking at Jake Lehmann being brought in because his dads the coach? Who gives a brown one who he is related to. He is the best young batsman in the country with an average of a tick over 48. Bring him in while Marsh is out so he can get a crack at one of the best bowling lineups. I can't wait until Cummins is back playing solid cricket because he would be 3rd quick IMO. Until then Sayers or Bird will get a run, why not blood Sayers in Adelaide - it might pay dividends for future tours. My team without Injured Shaun Marsh or Pat Cummins: Warner Khawaja Smith Lehmann White Nevill OKeefe M.Marsh Starc Hazelwood Sayers
Nick
Guest
Maxwell against a hooping pink ball? I'm not so sure - think we need to develop another proper test bat for the future. I'd swap him for a young talented batsman with temperament for the future - Travis Head. Neville for Wade. No spinner for this game where it'll be all over inside 3 days. Sayers in for O'Keefe. Let's get rid of the all rounders experiment and play 6 batsmen, back them for this time next year, not just this next test which we'll probably lose as South Africa are the better team, hats off to them - they are bowling too well for most teams at the moment. Mitch Marsh and Lyon should be told to freshen up in the Shield and that they are still a part of things going forward. For the record, I think Burns needs to be invested in also. He's young and will learn.
Amrit
Roar Guru
Neither of them deserves a chance Mitch Marsh is still the man to bring in the balance
Amrit
Roar Guru
Really Cameron White, can he be a realistic choice,? nope... Even Patterson is better
HB
Guest
We've seen that we can't have Mitchell Marsh batting at number six. Out big problem is batting. We can't field a team with only five specialist batsman. Even with six specialist batsman we got annihilated in both innings in the last game. Here's a better order, I think: Warner Burns Khawaja Smith Patterson Maxwell Nevill O’Keefe Starc Hazlewood Bird You could throw Cameron White in in the middle order instead of Maxwell or Patterson if you wanted, but I don't think it would make that much difference.
spruce moose
Guest
He'll definitely have the ear of the umpires as well.
Lancey5times
Guest
There are younger players with a strong start to the Shield (Patterson for example) that are a far better option than White at 33. And Ferguson deserves another few tests to prove that he can be the solid older guy in the middle order. Also, on a seaming Adelaide wicket that will see a 10-12 session test match why do we need Mitch Marsh's 'balance' as a 5th bowling option?
armchair expert
Guest
White made 72 runs for once out in his last test in a losing team and was man of the match in his last t20 a couple of years ago which suggests he was stiff to be dropped from both.
Pope Paul VII
Guest
Cam Smith has a better chance than Cam White.
AREH
Roar Guru
Interesting David. If you look at form and nothing else, Cam White is straight in, and I think he would sure up the middle order with some stability no doubt, but am also dubious because it's obviously not a looking forward selection. Then again, I'm a big fan of picking on form, and at the right time, without age as a barrier. It'd be unfair to mark his card as a test player based on appearances eight years ago, and even then he didn't exactly fail, and was drafted in to play a role not particularly suited to him. If Rogers can be given another opportunity years later, and Voges can be brought in at the ripe age of 36, then surely the door is open for White still. Is there much point to it now though given Aus cricket basically needs to declare itself in rebuild if it hasn't already, and so therefore picking 22-26 year olds in the middle order makes more sense. Either way, if White wins a place, it will be on merit.
Happy Hooker
Guest
Cameron White? You been at the Kool Aid again David? There is no evidence that White is up to facing the swinging ball.
Basil
Guest
I would even bother. David likes Bird and that is that. He wishes to persist with a currently toothless Lyon and thinks an out of form Mitch at 6 is the way to go. Cameron Smith doesn't even play cricket.
dan ced
Guest
Jackson Bird is behind Sayers in the pecking order, he is almost the same as Mennie, I think we need the variety of Sayers... and as always, my elder statesman pick is Klinger. White, like Bailey, has shown he does cut it at international level in all forms, but Klinger has never been given a chance.
Rugby Realist
Guest
I reckon Cam Smith is up to the job. Pressure player, he will really control the tempo of the innings. Plus he has the ability to make the journeymen around him better
TommyH
Guest
Good article. Just a typo on Cameron Smith on your batting line up pal.