Rain briefly threatened to bring Australia into the match but in the end they were soundly beaten in the first Twenty20in India yesterday, continuing their nightmare tour.
Inclement weather ended Australia’s innings at 8-118 from 18.4 overs and resulted in India being set the elementary task of chasing down 48 from six overs.
Quality first overs by WA quicks Jason Behrendorff and Nathan Coulter-Nile gave Australia slight hope before Indian stars Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan cantered to a nine-wicket win.
It may have been the smallest of sample sizes, but Behrendorff looked impressive on debut, earning sharp lift, late swing and nudging 140kmh as he twice beat the bat of Dhawan. There was little else to make Australian fans smile.
Australia’s innings followed a pattern which became disappointingly familiar across their recent five-match ODI series in India, which they lost 4-1.
A strong started was frittered away in a blur of middle-order ineptitude. On a pitch which offered variable pace and bounce, it seemed as though a score of about 160 would leave Australia well placed. They were on track for such a solid total at 2-76 from 9.4 overs before their middle order subsided with worrying ease.
With Moises Henriques, Dan Christian and Tim Paine at five, six and seven, you could have forgiven the Indian bowlers for feeling confident they could run through Australia. That is as weak a middle order as I have ever seen Australia field in an international fixture.
Henriques is a fine domestic cricketer but has failed again and again on the international stage. In his 20 limited overs matches for Australia, Henriques has averaged a paltry 12 with the blade, despite being picked as a batting all-rounder.
Christian, meanwhile, is well past his best at 34 years of age and has scored a grand total of 18 runs from his 15 Twenty20matches for Australia. And while Paine is a decent opener in the Big Bash League, he has always looked most comfortable in white ball cricket when he has time to build an innings.
(AAP Image/Joe Castro)
Paine quite clearly is ill-suited to coming in down at number seven, a position which typically requires a batsman to be able to strike boundaries from ball one. He, Christian and Paine looked all at sea against not only India’s spinners but their quicks too.
The fact Christian was comprehensively beaten for pace by one gentle 133kmh ball from Bhuvneshwar Kumar is all the proof required to confirm he is now far from international standard.
Of the team Australia fielded yesterday, only four players would make their best XI – David Warner, Aaron Finch, Glenn Maxwell and Adam Zampa. Even then, Maxwell is a borderline selection. The cavalier all-rounder has been very scratchy across his four limited overs matches in India, with 75 runs at 19. Those raw numbers actually flatter Maxwell, who has looked badly out of touch.
Particularly in T20Is, where they badly need his ballistic power in the middle-to-late overs, Australia are a much better side when Maxwell is in good nick. Yesterday their batting looked very poor, both on paper and in reality.
It continued what has been an awful tour of India for Australia, who competed so gallantly in the four-Test series there earlier this year. While there are still two T20Is left for Australia to salvage something out of the tour, it is hard to see their rag-tag line-up beating India’s elite outfit.
John Erichsen
Guest
Not I. I couldn't give a rats a*se what happens in any T20 series. Nothing to forgive regarding players or selectors in a format that means stuff all.
DavSA
Guest
Interestingly Maharaj has better stats than Shane Warne did at the same stage of their careers . He has brought a massive added dimension to our game . Steyn is already bowling in the nets , Morkels injury appears light .I am not sure about Philander though .If all are fit and AB De Villiers has made himself available for selection the biggest question is who to leave out . Bavuma will not be dropped .Politically not acceptable but realistically does not deserve it either . So the only 2 spots left are to drop De Kock and let ABDV take the gloves . Or the opener slot . Markram then would probably be the first batsman in the world to make a 97 and 126 in his first 2 matches on debut then get dropped .....Amazingly despite AB's availability there may not be a spot for him in the team. May have to carry the drinks.
Giri Subramanian
Roar Guru
I am too. it will be an interesting series and SA start as favourites because of their amazing bowling attack. After a long time SA have a very good (potential great) spin bowler to compliment the very good pace attack. Do you know if Steyn will be fit for the series? A bowling attack of Steyn, Philander, Rabada and Maharaj will be box office.
Gav
Guest
He hurt it during the 5th ODI in Nagpur. He was clutching at it after the match and the day after during traveling. It was when he tried to hit the ball out of the park in ranchi when he discovered it was still an issue. If it was a Test or a another ODI he would have stayed on.
DavSA
Guest
Sure thing Giri . Historically Indian batsmen have done quite well in SA .However historically they also toured outside the sub-continent a lot more often getting regular exposure to pacy pitches and I have to say this but a short pitched delivery at The Wanderers is quite a different kettle of fish to one at Eden Gardens or Galle Stadium in Sri Lanka . But lets see ....I am however salivating in anticipation of this upcoming series.
Giri Subramanian
Roar Guru
I don't think Indian batsmen will struggle too much with short pitched stuff. All the current generation of batsmen from India play pull and hook very well. Rahane, Kohli, Rahul have very good attacking shots against short pitched bowling and Vijay/Pujara are good defensively. Their major concern will be facing quick pitched up deliveries with seam/swing. Even Ashwin is a good player of short pitched stuff.
DavSA
Guest
Even following the tour from here in SA I am silently hoping it will just get euthanized and put all out of their misery. My concern is that due to wicket preparation we are developing in world cricket a parallel 2 tier structure .On the one hand we have sub-continent conditions and then the rest of us .The gap has always been there but has become a canyon now. In support of my thoughts , having just concluded our series against Bangladesh where they played on true bounce pitches the Bangladeshi batsmen were so out of their depth technically against the quicks that I genuinely feared for their well being . They had absolutely no idea how to play the short stuff with a number of them getting hit sickening blows to the head as well as finger and arm injuries. Yes this is the same team that beat Australia in a test recently .All I can say is thank goodness they did not play at the Wanderers . The ICC needs to look at this and possibly introducing a pitch grading system with penalties should certain pre set parameters be exceeded. But possibly before it does lets see if India on their upcoming tour to SA will also have the same issues as nothing will change unless India say so. They play very little cricket these days on anything but spinning paradises and will be getting green tops at all venues.
Giri Subramanian
Roar Guru
Ridiculous tour this one. Looks like it keeps stretching. Don't have a clue as to what either team is gaining from this experience. Australia especially is wasting their time in India, Good that Smith, Starc, Hazelwood, Lyon and Pat Cummins aren't playing anymore. Hope Warner is rested as well. Last thing Australia want is having having one of the key players injured.
Rellum
Roar Guru
Stanlake is involved in the national setup, so that means he is coming back from injury. It has been said before that QLD has loads of bowlers who are really first/second change bowlers. Stanlake is the only one who really breaks away from that mould.
josh
Roar Rookie
This is the last meaningless Limited overs tournament isn't it? Won't all matches now have some meaning to ODI World Cup rankings? And matches limited between teams. To Be honest, doesn't anyone even care about these games (besides India)? They don't provide a real measure of anything useful before a home summer.
Don Freo
Guest
In ODI, yes. This was a T20 game. One side only batted for 5 overs. Imagine not taking a risk. Unhappy team mates.
Joe Bell
Roar Rookie
Gotta say Jhye looks the goods doesn't he! Impressed with Peirson, he has been good with the gloves and can certainly hit the ball. Carey has impressed me too which I'm super pleased about. Very very tidy with the gloves so far and his 60 the other day looked clean, albeit Hurstville is about as small as they get. Did you guys see Max Bryant's 89 yesterday against NSW? Looks strong and backs himself. Some streaky runs in there but took it to a decent NSW attack. Good confidence and ball striking ability
Joe Bell
Roar Rookie
I'd actually argue Christian wasn't a bad pick. One of the few Aussies recently performing. Had a good IPL for Pune and played well for Notts in the Blast recently too. I think you guys may be neglecting the specialist role he has been assigned, see the stuff Jarrod Kimber has been writing about him on cricinfo... although yes he failed here, he certainly wasn't a bad pick on recent T20 performances. Henriques selection does my head in, I really can't see him playing for Aus again. I hope he goes back to NSW and builds a legacy there, which I believe he is capable of. Very strong domestic performer and seems a very good bloke, unfortunately the INTL results just haven't happened
Shree Jee
Guest
Maxwell is going Shahid Afridi way.
maverick
Roar Rookie
I was talking about odi cricket Don.Btw coming to your question,as a middle order batsman,you should know how to build an innings.You can't just hit it out of the park all the time,even in t20..Yuvraj and symonds came to my mind.They were incredible hitters but they didn't try to hit every ball like Maxwell.
Don Freo
Guest
It's expected in T20. If he comes off, we win. Do you want him to build an innings?
Don Freo
Guest
Just as well Doggett looks ok. Neser and, particularly, Cutting look a bit ordinary. What's the story with Stanlake? I fear some WA bowlers might be heading to Qld next year. Return the favour from a few years ago.
maverick
Roar Rookie
@Fox,Maxwell's stats are not great either.He is averaging in the 20s since the world cup final in 2015.Yet many will say he deserves to be in the side.The way he just throws his wicket way is beyond horrible.
Fox
Roar Guru
Maxwell must be treading on broken glass t the moment - once more, questions must be his overall consistency. He is perhaps benefiting from a team that is performing poorly in general at the moment in the short form. Sure he has the odd good innings but that is not enough at the highest level. I have never rated him the way some do and still don't. His still plays the wrong shot at the wrong time too often IMO. But the big issue is too many of Australia'a players - batsmen mainly - still have subcontinent issues. Spare rolling me out the stats - I know them already - still does not justify his place in the side for me but who else is there? The big show, is too often a no show plain and simple.
Rellum
Roar Guru
Shaun has been on fire so far. I don't really count the CAXI scores so Nic's recent hundred goes under my radar. I am only watching QLD games so I wont comment too much on how other teams are doing just yet, Doggertt looks the most impressive of the new QLDers to date. Peirson has got a couple of good scores as well.