Australia and Bangladesh fought out a vastly entertaining drawn Test series over the past fortnight. Here are four things I learned from this contest.
Matt Renshaw is in a deep form trough ahead of the Ashes
So much criticism has been hurled at the likes of Matt Wade, Glenn Maxwell and David Warner over Australia’s past few Test matches that their 21-year-old opener has largely escaped scrutiny. In Renshaw’s last nine Test innings he has made only 149 runs at an average of 16.
What makes this slump of even greater concern, looking ahead to the Ashes, is that it is not the result of Renshaw floundering against spin on dry Asian surfaces. Rather, six of those nine dismissals have been against pace bowlers.
The outstanding feature of Renshaw’s batting during his prolific debut summer was how well he knew the location of his off stump. He left the ball very well against the quicks, rarely getting sucked in to sparring at wide deliveries.
Of late, however, Renshaw has looked less sure of which pace deliveries to play and which to ignore. This is an issue he will need to fix before facing England’s accurate seamers this summer.
Ashton Agar has a big future in Test cricket
Agar’s selection for this series shocked many people, and justifiably so. Steve O’Keefe had performed well for Australia in his brief career, while Victorian spinner Jon Holland had piled up 77 wickets at 21 from his past 16 Sheffield Shield matches and dominated in Australia’s trial match in Darwin.
As I argued last month, however, that did not make Agar a bad choice to play in Bangladesh as he was a vastly-improved bowler since his first Test stint and also offered Australia crucial extra depth with the bat.
The 23-year-old proved both of these assessments correct across the two-Test series. While he was underused with the ball, sending down just 61.4 overs compared to 133.5 overs for Lyon, Agar impressed with his accuracy, changes of pace and ability to generate disconcerting bounce.
He kept things tight, conceding a miserly 2.62 runs per over, and chipped in with seven wickets at 23. It was notable, too, that he regularly took valuable wickets – only one of his seven was a tail ender. Yet arguably his most important contribution was the wonderfully-patient 41no from 97 balls he made under immense pressure in the first innings of the first Test.
When Agar arrived at the crease Australia were 7-124, trailing Bangladesh by 136 runs.
Australia had nearly lost the Test at that stage, given they would have to bat last on pitch offering huge assistance to the spinners.
Then Agar set about taming the home attack, showing a confident defence and admirable composure. After four Tests, Agar now averages 32 with the bat. That is an average he may well be able to maintain when he gets a longer stint in the Test team in the years to come.
(AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
That’s a fine return when you consider how many members of Australia’s top six in recent years have flopped spectacularly in Asia. Add in his brilliant fielding and handy bowling, and he’s been a valuable member of the team this year.
It surprises me that so many cricket followers are prepared to write off Maxwell as a Test player when he’s never even played one Test outside of Asia, the region where most Australian cricketers labour badly.
There’s no ignoring the fact that Maxwell played some unnecessarily cavalier strokes at times in Bangladesh and India. But the proof is in the pudding and, prior to Maxwell rejoining the team in India, any Australian fan would have been happy for their number six to average 37 over the following four Tests in Asia.
Arto
Guest
I was thinking the Day-Night conditions definetely even things out a lot in ENGs favour, so I'm hoping the new-found resilience that has been sometimes on display this year in Asia will be found again in Adelaide so that we avoid one of the collapses we're becoming famous for (ref. recent media coverage of it). What is it with Wade though? What does he actually bring to the team that someone like Neville or Bancroft or anyone else playing keeper in the SS this season? For my mind a keeper needs to be picked first & foremost for his keeping skills... Yes, it's great if he can bat abit and rescue the team if we get 5 Down for not many, but it's hardly on him if the Top 5 don't get enough runs to put us in a bad position.. A keeper who averages 20+ AND can save min.50 runs through catches/wickets & lack of byes is for me much more important than one who averages 30+ but without the same added value in the field. It's not just the keeper himself who's confidence takes a hit when he makes a mistake, but the whole team - in particular the bowler who's busting a gut to get that wicket. The 'soft' signal a keeper mistake generates in general fielding standards can be quite damaging, espcially if the batsmen are set...
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
G'day Arto, I think that the day-night match being early in the series is a big bonus for England as that is the one surface which should really suit them (assuming the Adelaide pitch is a soft, seaming deck last the last two day-nighters). England's attack will struggle on the harder, flatter pitches across the rest of the series but they will be a real handful at Adelaide. That Aussie XI you listed is what I would like to see, but I've got a feeling Wade may well get picked instead.
Arto
Guest
I also ask that question, because I see the AUS XI as quite setteled barring any form slumps in the domestic season... Renshaw proved last summer he can handle Test cricket & as Nudge pointed out, he has stood tall when other more noted teammates (eg: Warner, Khawaja, and even Smith) have failed during his first ever series abroad - he is, after all, only 21... Playing the same Top 5 as last summer is a must IMO, and Maxwell has earned a chance at #6 if we only play 3 quicks + Lyon. So my XI for the Gabba would be as follows: Warner, Renshaw, Khawaja, Smith, Handscomb, Maxwell, Neville, Starc, Cummins, Lyon, Hazelwood For me, Neville saves more runs than the difference in batting averages between him & Wade and I just can't see how Wade's contribution otherwise would keep him in the team. My alternatives would be playing Pattinson as a bowling all-rounder or Cartwright as a batting all-rounder and depending upon how they start the season, have the Marsh brothers in the equation too...
Arto
Guest
Ronan: I digress from your topic, but given you look forward to the Ashes in your article, I'll take my chances! ;-) How do you think the day-night dynamic will impact the series given convention says it would help ENG's seamers more than if all Tests were played as day fixtures? The reasons I ask are that for ENG to retain the Ashes, they'll need to take at least 60 wickets (barring weather interventions) and I'm not sure they would ordinarily be in with a chance of doing so with the projected line-up (Anderson, Broad, Wood, Roland-Jones, Stokes, Woakes and Ali). Plus, hardly any of their batsmen are good off the back foot, which is almost a prerequisite for getting a century in AUS and they'll need at least 6 of those throughout the series (at least 1 in each innings of a Test to not lose the game).
FunBus
Roar Rookie
Underrate Bairstow and Woakes at your peril - but we've got 3 that aren't much to write home about.
Brian
Guest
What exactly is Lyon the GOAT of?
Stephen Vagg
Roar Guru
Renshaw's form is a slight worry - a sophomore slump is very common for newbie test batsman. But I hope he gets at least two tests in the Ashes. Agar bowled a lot better than I thought he would... but Smith doesn't seem to be particularly a fan. He kept going for O'Keefe. And would love Maxwell to get at least two tests in the Ashes. His batting in the second innings of the second test helped get Australia out of a slightly tricky situation. While he was at the crease Australia had a chance of winning the first test in Bangladesh and the fourth test in India. What's more you felt they had a chance, which is more than you could say for Matt Wade.
ThugbyFan
Roar Guru
As much as I love Maxy, I think Hilton Cartwright will get first dibs at the #6 gig in Australia. He bats at #3 for WA (First class Av 51 with 4 tons) and did really well last Sheffield Shield though G.Maxwell (Av 40 with 6 tons) has vastly more experience. Cartwright's medium pace bowling isn't that dangerous but he averages 45/wicket over 23 first class matches compared to Maxwell's offbreak average of 41/wicket over 51 matches. Maxwell has 57 First class and 8 test wickets compared to Cartwright's 12 first class and 0 test wickets. It could come down to the wickets (horse for course) or more likely the composition of the team. Australia needs to tell the groundsmen to put some bite into the wickets and bugger what Ch9 wants. England bats pretty deep these days so meek pitches are just playing into their hand, fast pitches and healthy bowlers and Australia has the firepower to blast them out. Then if they go with 4 quicks and N.Lyon do they need someone to give the quicks a rest ? Whoever is the "rest" bowler he needs to be able to bat in the top 6, so likely Ashton Agar is out and Cartwright with his better batting will play.
BurgyGreen
Guest
I too am slightly worried about Handscomb's technique - his penchant to camp on the back foot could get him in trouble against quality pace. However, he didn't do terribly (admittedly not particularly well either) in county cricket so perhaps he'll be fine.
Ross
Guest
No it wasn't a flat track, it was a skilled innings by khawaja
Ross
Guest
Khawaja scored a century against South Africa as a opener in the best knock of the summer , he can open really well
Don Freo
Guest
Renshaw will be fine. He'll stay and he'll star. He'll probably send Anderson into retirement. There is plenty of other talent around, though. Maybe this is the year of the Bancroft. The WA captain's brother isn't bad, either.
matth
Guest
It's just a contingency in case Broad and Anderson tear him a new one. Renshaw will start and unless he can't buy a run in the first three tests, there is no reason to change. Even if he struggles and gets dropped, he is very young and will undoubtedly come back in down the track. For the record, even if Renshaw needs to take a break, I'd bring in Burns or Harris, rather than promote Khawaja.
matth
Guest
Since we only have some hit and giggle now before the Ashes, here is my early take on where the two teams are, after the recent series in England and Bangladesh: For England: - Cook will have at least one big score left in him I think. - Root will struggle a bit, at least at first, if we prepare bouncy pitches. He seems to have a slight chink with balls that get big on him, and Pat Cummins gets his wickets that way. - Stokes will turn at least one match with bat and ball. - Ali will take a 5 wicket haul, as the Australians will take him lightly and try to dominate. - Broad needs to be fit because you need a bowler out here with bounce as a weapon. - Jimmy will do better than last time. - The rest of them appear to be nothing to write home about, but this is the time to make a name for themselves. Australia's chances: - Warner, Khawaja, Smith will go big. The rest will struggle. - Renshaw is very green to be going up against the most experienced new ball pair in cricket. - Handscomb will fight but his technique leaves him open. - Maxwell might have one or two big ones in him, but will also do many brainless things. - Any wicket keeper we pick will not be a factor with the blade. - If Starc, Cummins, Hazlewood and Lyon are fit and firing, and we resist the temptation for CEO pitches, their batsmen will face a challenge as mighty as Johnson and Harris, or Lillee and Thommo. If a bowler of the quality of Pattinson cannot get a game then our attack is very strong indeed. - We are nearly in drought conditions in QLD, so the Gabba may be flat and dry, in contrast to expectations. The last drought we had coincided with Cook batting everyone into oblivion.
AREH
Roar Guru
So Khawaja opens with...Warner? So where does that leave Renshaw? I can't see him going out of the test side, and echo the sentiments of Nudge above - he is a fantastic long-term prospect who will only become more consistent at the top. He achieved some solid starts despite not going on, as he did in India. He has a wonderful opportunity to nail down an opening spot for the next decade plus, if he wants it.
Lancey5times
Roar Rookie
Firstly, I'm quite surprised this article hasn't had a truck load of responses given the Maxi stuff. Maybe it's a weekend thing Secondly, the points 1) Renshaw has to get at least the first 2 Ashes tests and in the event that he gets dropped I don't think it is a bad thing at all. I also don't think keeping him in the side due to the lack of an outstanding alternative is the right thing to do. If he does go back to the Shield, Khawaja is the best option. It worked for Justin Langer 2) Agar. I've said quite a few times over the past couple of years that their are remarkable similarities between Agar and Steve Smith. Both picked ahead of there time as a spinner who could bat a bit, both enjoyed more success with the bat despite this, both gifted stroke makers with a heavy reliance on eye and both spent time in the wilderness after debuting. 5k test runs at least batting as high as 5. Possible future captain. Big call I know 3) Cummins is amazing. I apologize for everytime I questioned him getting a contract 4) Maxi is set for a breakout summer if they pick him. He shouldn't budge from 6 however. Absolute matchwinner there. If Renshaw spends time away from the side Cartwright at 5 with the others sliding up looks good
matth
Guest
Addressing these four points: 1. Renshaw is very young. It would almost be a surprise if he doesn't get dropped at some point, but he will relish getting back home to his Mum and Dad after another tour and playing some cricket at home. It think he has acquitted himself well over the two tours and he has had some unlucky dismissals (i.e. leg side glances) as well. He will be fine and he'll remember how well he played last summer. 2. Agar looks the goods and if we had a keeper who was good enough with the bat to maintain a strong top 6, then Agar would fit in very well at 7 as a second spinner. But we don't at this point. So Agar should come in whenever we need a second spinner and work further on his batting so he is ready when we either find such a keeper, or when he posts enough runs to be considered at 6 himself. 3. Cummins is the man, that's all there is to say. If Starc and Cummins were fit together at some stage in Asia, then we would be very dangerous indeed. In Australia, I would suggest he has pretty much locked Pattinson and Bird out of the third seamer spot for the time being. But our quicks being what they are I would suggest one or both of those guys will get a run at some point over the summer. 4. Maxwell needs to be given a chance. He has done much better with his chances this time around than his first go. He deserves a good run rather than just being thrown in the deep end whenever we are losing in Asia. Cartwright looks great, but he didn't do enough to move Maxwell just yet. Other points from this series: - Bangladesh deserve 3 tests and more frequent series - Warner continued his evolution - Lyon is the GOAT - I have been a big fan of Wade taking along walk off a short pier, but his keeping was really good in that second test. I think it may have been enough to get him to the Gabba. - Handscomb has guts to go with his talent, but I am worried that Anderson will work him out.
matth
Guest
That is an option, however I would say no for two reasons: 1. Khawaja has been a gun number three in Australian conditions and I don;t like removing a strength to fix a different problem. 2. Neither Maxwell nor Cartwright have taken their opportunities yet to such an extent that I would want to restructure other areas of the team just to fit them in. But Khawaja could handle the opening slot in Australia, no doubt.
DavSA
Guest
I agree Charles . Cummins is one serious quick . A lot goes to the team you are in though. As a South African I have from afar seen Australia as a team in transition . I do believe that that same evolvement is bearing fruit. They are going to be very good in the not too distant future . My own side The. Proteas are going into the same phase but a bit behind you guys . Cummins will be a superstar in world cricket .....injury free of course. As for Rabada , I would if I were an SA administrator post him off to County Cricket For 12 months . He is so young and I personally think getting ahead of himself back here.
Charles Lara
Guest
Cummins is the next big thing in cricket the battle is pretty much between him and Kagiso Rabada though the latter possess a touch over 50 wickts to his name..My line up this comng ashes would be warner renshaw khawaja smith handscomb maxwell wade cummins starc hazlewood and lyon...pattnson will await an injury....