Australia have continued their renaissance in Asia after registering a comfortable win in the second Test in Bangladesh yesterday to draw the series.
The visitors’ thumping win gave them a record of two wins, three losses and a draw from their six Tests in Asia this year, which is a fine return given they had lost their previous nine Tests on the subcontinent.
There was exaggerated criticism of Australia after their narrow loss in the first Test to Bangladesh, a team which has become genuinely competitive in Tests, particularly over the past year. In that time Bangladesh drew 1-1 at home with England (a series they almost won 2-0) and also 1-1 away in Sri Lanka.
It was Sri Lanka who handed Australia arguably their most humiliating series loss of the past decade when they hammered them 3-0 at home last year despite the Lions fielding a very inexperienced team.
That defeat seemed to really sting the Australians, who subsequently overhauled their approach in Asia.
Firstly, Australia sought to promote players they believed were well suited to playing in Asia.
Secondly, their batsmen made a concerted effort to play the line of the ball in defence, having been beaten on the inside edge with alarming regularity in Sri Lanka.
That second change has proven crucial – it is a key reason why Australia have batted considerably better in Bangladesh and India than they did in Sri Lanka. Australia’s bowlers had consistently done a good job for them on the road in the past but too often their labour had been undone by the batsmen.
While Australia’s batting in Asia still needs to improve markedly, it is on a clear upward curve.
The form curve is even steeper for the Australian who has improved in Asia more than any other this year – spinner Nathan Lyon. After taking nine wickets in the first Test at Dhaka, and then seven wickets in the first innings of this second Test, Lyon ran amok once more yesterday, grabbing 6-60.
It continued a remarkable run for Lyon, who has taken 41 wickets at an average of 19 in Asia this year, including five five-wicket hauls.
What makes this sequence of performances even more extraordinary is that Lyon was at serious risk of dropped from the Australian Test team last summer before being saved by an injury to Steve O’Keefe. Lyon had by far the worst home season of his career, averaging 50 with the ball across six Tests against Pakistan and South Africa, while conceding a hefty 3.62 runs per over.
Lyon then arrived in India in February as the owner of a very poor Test record in Asia, with an average of 43 from 11 Tests. At that stage, the six Tests in India and Bangladesh shaped as the toughest challenge of Lyon’s career. Instead, they may well just be the catalyst for Lyon to make the leap from a solid Test spinner to a star bowler.
He has been quite clearly the best spinner on either side in this series in Bangladesh, and in India he held his own against the world’s top two Test spinners Ravi Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin.
Lyon long has been potent on hard, bouncy pitches but now appears to have unlocked the secret to dominating on dry, slow surfaces. He was only one of a number of Australians to produce very encouraging performances over the two series in Asia.
David Warner scored back-to-back tons in Bangladesh, the first of which almost won the Dhaka Test for Australia and the second of which put them in a commanding position at Chittagong.
Middle order batsman Peter Handscomb was nimble and assertive at the crease throughout both series, finishing with a reasonable average of 34 from the six Tests despite failing to capitalise on many good starts.
(AAP Image/Dan Peled)
Much-maligned all-rounder Glenn Maxwell did not quite cement his Test spot for the Ashes, but returned a healthy average of 37 from his four Tests in Bangladesh and India.
Rookie paceman Pat Cummins showed he is one of the best young Test cricketers in the world, bowling with consistent pace, accuracy and intimidation factor en route to taking 14 wickets at 29 in Asia.
And 23-year-old spinning all-rounder Ashton Agar was a handy contributor in Bangladesh, averaging 23 with the ball and 32 with the bat.
With an average age of just 26.6 years, this is a very young Australian side which looks to have the ability and mindset to become a consistently competitive team in Asia.
Lancey5times
Roar Rookie
I'm choosing not engage you any further until I get an apology
Geoff
Guest
Lauding a drawn series in Bangladesh, of all places, as a sign of Australian cricket's good health. My, how the mighty have fallen.
qwetzen
Guest
Iirc, Matt Hayden had a net prepared at the ABO to simulate an Indian 'pitch' for regular practice on before his Spectacular Success Tour.
qwetzen
Guest
"Surely there’s enough sledging from the slips...". Unlikely. Highly unlikely. Renshaw doesn't, Smith can't, and we rarely have a 3rd slip for long enough for him to clear his throat. Speaking of close fielders... I read that the non-bowling Mitchell Marsh has been appointed the WA Shield captain.
Don Freo
Guest
His batting is fantastic. His innings at the WACA took the game away from WA last year and put SA in the final. He did it the year before too. He is a genuine batsman who started as an opener for SA.
Dicky M
Guest
If so ..then his batting is not good enough ..
Basil
Guest
You obviously know tactics and conditions better than the Aussie brain trust qwertzen. Some people will never be satisfied with a win...
Ross
Guest
Also lance the numbers don't tell us is that in all the Asian series khawaja has been dropped by Trevor hohns when the pitch has been a road. We saw this in the third test in Sri Lanka and now the second test in Bangladesh, it's a wonder how khawaja manages to fight back everytime
Don Freo
Guest
How many seasons do you want Carey to have? This will be his fourth.
Ross
Guest
Rubbish comment and once again lance you couldn't help taking a swipe at khawaja, pathetic
Dicky M
Guest
Hate myself saying it but after Wades improvement keeping wise in this test he will retain his spot for the Ashes, and despite his continuing terrible run of form with the bat. Let's face it , he's in the boys club, Hanscombe is a back stop at best , Whiteman is out for the season , Carey needs another Shield season and Nevill just isn't on the radar .. Hope I'm wrong ..
Shane Warner
Guest
Yes, that Dave Warner innings was more Cook or Younis Khan than I've ever seen. Maybe he finally learned something from watching Rogers bat :)
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
In Asia and the Windies (which has dry Asian-style pitches mostly), I still rate Ashwin, Jadeja and Herath ahead of Lyon, no doubt. But in Aus/Eng/SA/NZ there is no competition, Lyon is streets ahead of the others. These are their Test bowling averages in Aus/Eng/SA/NZ: Ashwin ....... avg. 57 Yasir ........... avg. 56 Jadeja ........ avg. 46 Herath ........ avg. 43 Lyon ........... avg. 33
Ed Nixon
Roar Pro
Nathan Lyon's display was nothing short of remarkable. Easy to forget he was close to being dropped before being handed song duties by Hussey a few years back
Brian
Guest
I don't believe Wade is that far behind as a batsman to Maxwell or Cartwright. Given that I would rather play with a proper keeper. If someone else comes along great but otherwise no point going back to Nevill who is as inept with the bat as Wade. I am only floating that team for Perth or night games where a spinner would be of limited use, and again the runs Agar can score are not that far behind Maxwell or Cartwright.
Brian
Guest
Pretty sure Ashwin played here last time. Lyon has had a good run in Asia after a very lean summer here. Previously it was the oppossite. We can all pluck figures if you r going to call him world's best he has to perform this summer. I would also add that stats are not fair because the Australian batsman and fielders are better especially in the case of Herath and Shakib. I believe this is also the case whereby the averages for Ambrose and McGrath are better then Wasim Akram yet pundits often rate Akram, its because his fielders were worse. I don't know why there aren't stats around dropped catches or wrong LBW but that's for another day.
Don Freo
Guest
What Wade did with the gloves is no more than we expect every keeper to do. He did miss 4 byes off Agar. Wade's bar is so low we give him another series BECAUSE he played a test without missing a dismissal. That's par for the course for most keepers.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Guest
Fantastic series to watch. I've really enjoyed the last two series against India and Bangladesh. Gripping stuff. Having pitches that offer turn for the spinners ensures results in matches in contrast to some of the roads served up in Australia recently. These conditons sorts out the batsmen who can find a way to play spin from those who can't and provides opportunities for our spinners to flourish in conditions that assist them. I really hope tours of the sub continent are firmly in the sights of those organising our future test schedule. Hats off to Dave Warner for being able to curb his natural instincts in the second test to give Australia enough runs to bowl at. A very mature and patient innings. Adjectives you wouldn't think could be applied to the batting of Warner. The progress of Lyon has been nothing short pf phenomenal from a bowler who used to bowl around the wicket to the right handers in Australia in the hope of taking a catch at short leg to someone who attacks the stumps in search of an LBW or bowled. The penny has finally dropped for Lyon and I'll be really interested to see if he can replicate that form in Australian conditions.
Matt P
Roar Rookie
Remember reading about something along those lines once. I think that one might've tried to resemble a rank turner or something like, which hasn't been our issue.
armchair expert
Guest
Great series by Lyon, there's no doubt he benefited from all the left handed batsmen in the Bangladesh team. Don't forget he got slaughtered "away from home" in 2nd division County cricket a couple of months ago. Herath would be my choice as best spinner in the world, for memory he may even have a better test bowling average in Australia than Lyon.