Australia have long lacked respect for the role of spinners in white ball cricket, but now it’s time for them to change tack and trial two tweakers in their ODI lineup.
The fourth ODI at Durham was an ultra-rare occasion that Australia fielded two frontline spinners, with Ashton Agar (2 for 48 from eight overs) and Nathan Lyon (1 for 38 from seven overs) clearly the tourists’ two best bowlers.
Australia should offer that pair further opportunities to team up, including today in the fifth and final ODI in Manchester.
Spinners for years have been the key to T20 cricket and now ODIs are becoming increasingly similar to the shortest format as T20 batting belligerence bleeds over into one day cricket.
Limited overs batsmen have become extremely skilled at using pace against fast bowlers, as we’ve seen in this current ODI series between Australia and England.
So far pace bowlers from both sides have conceded 6.8 runs per over, whereas the spinners have been comparatively frugal at 5.8rpo.
That economy rate gap has been even larger between Australia’s frontline quicks (7.3rpo) and their specialist spinners (6rpo). Obviously, that discrepancy is partly due to Australia being without their best five ODI quicks in Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, James Faulkner and Nathan Coulter-Nile.
But there’s also a lot to be said for the variety added to an ODI attack by the presence of two spinners, particularly if they turn the ball in opposite directions like Agar and Lyon. Australia won the last World Cup without a frontline spinner, using all-rounder Glenn Maxwell as their only tweaker.
The ODI game has moved since then, however, and on the ultra-flat English decks expected for next year’s World Cup variety, spin will be the key to every attack.
Australia have 17 more ODIs scheduled before the 2019 World Cup starts in England next June, and will also have an extra two or three warm-up matches directly before that tournament. That gives them about 20 matches to tweak their on-field tactics and selection strategies.
Australia already know what they would get out of a pace-heavy attack featuring any three of Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins, Faulkner and Coulter-Nile. What they’re far less familiar with is how a dual spin-unit would challenge opposition batting line-ups.
By giving Agar and Lyon generous opportunities to bowl alongside each other during the team’s next dozen or so matches Australia could learn a lot.
(AP Photo/A.M. Ahad)
Even if they still decided to go pace-heavy at the World Cup, they would have honed a Plan B of taking the pace off the ball via spin.
Coming from so far back in the field, the Australians need to make changes, to take risks if they are to compete strongly at the World Cup. Trialling two spinners prior to this tournament is a calculated risk given they can always fall back to the familiar strategy of unleashing three frontline quicks.
It would also improve the team’s flexibility if Maxwell’s off-spin was brought out of mothballs. The Victorian did a very tidy job with the ball at the last World Cup, taking six wickets at 36 as he was named in the Team of the Tournament.
Yet in a bizarre turn of events, Maxwell soon after that World Cup was sidelined as an ODI bowler and has barely been used since. This is further evidence of the foolish manner in which Australia have neglected spin in ODIs.
In the lead-up to the 2019 World Cup Australia need to get as many overs as possible into Agar, Lyon and Maxwell. The days of relying on pace in ODIs are numbered.
Rellum
Roar Guru
I still thin Paine could play a role with the bat. He is head and shoulders the best gloveman which is super important in my opinion in Test's and T20's. ODI's I would still pick him for his glovework as he needs to cover first slip as well. The only other guy capable of that is Carey. Those half chances must be taken. In the ODI batting order Paine could be a floating bat. Come in early to steady a collapse or bat down at 8 or 9 if we need big hitting. I am not remotely convinced on Handscomb's batting let alone his keeping. He has been out of form with the bat so he might have a good record but unless he has sorted out his batting he might be a worse option than anyone in the middle order. My team would be for the World Cup right now would be Finch ???(Maybe Warner, but from all reports he has a lot of work to do to win people over. Lynn, I basically have put a line through him because of his shoulders.Head is not good enough right now in my opinion but he might be the only choice and as Ronan points out does have a decent record.. Maybe Usman because there are no other options.) S.Marsh Smith Maxwell M.Marsh Paine(Paine should be ready to come in from 3-9)\ Agar Cummins Starc Hazelwood/Lyon Stanlake Lyon/Hazelwood Carey(Not Paine, if Tim is not in the first XI he does not go.) Stoinis I am not sure we will take anymore. Maybe another quick and Batsmen.
jimbo
Guest
no hazelwood? he has a better one day record than starc i think with stoinis as well you need to play him at 6 or 7 or not at all... Maxwell good call at 6 though- cant afford to play him higher...
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Absolutely - Kuldeep and Chahal are a much better ODI spin pair than Rashid and Moeen, which is very scary for Australia.
KenoathCarnt
Guest
WC squad Finch Warner Smith Carey (wk) Stoinis Maxwell Agar Cummins Starc NCN Lyon
KenoathCarnt
Guest
Coulter Nile is the man and I feel has to be in the team regardless who is next to him. He would kill it in English conditions and seems to have that street smartness to him in the short over game. Keeps it tight and takes wickets.
AREH
Roar Guru
Yeah, the sooner they have Paine as 'test-only' keeper, the better. Carey for the WC would be absolutely ideal, but still not sure it will happen, giving Paine the ODI captaincy is basically a declaration that they want him for next year in the team. I wouldn't mind seeing Carey's ball-striking ability at the top if he was in that side. I feel Warner would be a far more versatile option lower down than Finch; given the latter has done so much as an opener. I'd love to see a WC team kind of like; Finch (c) Carey (wk) Smith Warner Maxwell Stoinis M.Marsh Agar Starc Cummins/Tye Hazlewood Not sold on Stoinis in the newly created number 3 role; he's played some unbelievable innings already at 6. Love Agar at 8, although who knows they may end up preferring Lyon.
Akkara
Roar Rookie
On a spin wicket, Yes. If not, when we have our full pace attack, we will do them for pace. We do need to be able to face spin. England seems to think that it is our Achilles heel.
KenoathCarnt
Guest
Kuldeep Yadav and Chahal are far better IMO.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
Maybe, but he would have had a fair input into the squad so he has to sheet some of the blame with the selections.
Krishna Singh
Roar Rookie
Which burgygreen is this
Krishna Singh
Roar Rookie
Who is burgygreen
Krishna Singh
Roar Rookie
Fair points, if thats the case then have finch, Head, Khawaja as the top 3. Khawaja is best number 3 for us and head and finch can open. In this case paine goes back to number 6 as captain of side
Krishna Singh
Roar Rookie
And Jyhe is from WA which is Ronan's home state lol kidding. Great bowling from big Billy and a few world cup puzzle pieces answered for Australia. Starc, Cummins, Stanlake and Hazelwood/Lyon now look like the backbone for a cup defence. The batting is less clear but assuming Smith and Warner will take their place and Mitch Marsh now looks likely to grab the all rounders gig. That leaves 3 battng spots. Finch most likely stays with two to pick from Lynn, Head, Maxwell and Khawaja. I would go for Finch, warner, khawaja, smith. Its about time khawaja came in and we stop making excuses as he is great at this format. Things looking ok for 2019 and this little tour has at least answered a question or two about the current back up stocks. Would have been nice to stop the whitewash but no big deal. Everyone else, particularly the english with previous ashes defeats, experiences them too. The chest thumping can continue in England until it really matters.
Krishna Singh
Roar Rookie
Agreed Larry, for too long khawaja has been hard done by and we need him in the ODI side now On a postivie hopefully Billy can get a full domestic season under his belt in all formats. He really looks the goods to be a world class bowler in all formats of the game if he can stay fit.
Larry1950
Guest
Didn't UzziK open for Qld a number of times over the last 2 seasons of 50 over cricket and get plenty of runs doing it? He always seems to be made a scapegoat for team failures but when he scores runs people say that's his job. Players who seem to have time to play their shots like him are often criticised as being too casual but the hyped uptight ones don't do any better. Khawaja has been hard done by for a long time, how many goes did Steve Waugh get before he scored a ton?
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Jhye's only 21yo he's got ages left to add more speed, accuracy and variation to his bowling. He's got a great temperament already and has a big future in all 3 formats I believe.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
If Paine and Khawaja are in the top 3 "Krishna" then what happens to the current top 3 of Finch, Head and SMarsh?
jimbo
Guest
im hoping after this series we lose pat howard, trevor hohns, t paine as captain- hoping this is the team we take forward for cwc warner finch (c) smith ferguson handscomb (wk) lynn short cummins starc zampa hazelwood
Rellum
Roar Guru
Jhye isn't fast enough to blast guys out and not tall enough to bounce guys out so to me he needs to work on moving the ball to be effective at international cricket. But as Tubby says, that goes for just about all Aussie quicks.
Krishna Singh
Roar Rookie
Paine is a good cricketer and a good captain. The team he has currently got is the one that is not performing. Perhaps having any other captain would have resulted in a similar result in this series. Our top order needs khawaja at 3 and not stonis, that was ridiculous given khawajs county form. Stanlake was the only decent bowler we played