Rain has ensured Australia cannot lose the three-match T20I series against India, but the home team should change their batting lineup today to cover for the ragged form of D’Arcy Short.
Not only is Short struggling for runs, but he’s also wasting a huge number of deliveries and playing out far too many dot balls, a criminal offence in the shortest format.
In his last six T20Is Short has made just 37 runs from 57 balls at an average of 6. The biggest concern is his extraordinarily slow strike rate of 65, which equates to a run rate of just 3.9 runs per over, a figure that is unacceptably slow in ODIs, let alone in T20 cricket.
That figure somehow gets even worse when you consider that Short has faced most of those deliveries in the Power Play, having opened in four of those six matches and batted first drop in another.
Short had a very good start to his T20I career but has now been found out by opposition teams. Not only is he continuing to labour against spin, but he is also being blanketed by pace, which was considered his strength when Short began his international career.
Quicks have realised that Short craves the chance to free his arms to hammer the ball through the off side or to open up his front hip and blast to the leg side.
So they’re cramping him for room and Short, at this stage, has no answer to this tactic. His reliance on boundaries means bowlers able to tuck him up in this manner can join several dot balls together and pressure Short into trying to manufacture a big shot.
Until he can remedy this problem, Short should not be in the Australian T20I side. His presence in the top order is also affecting the balance of the side, with Ben McDermott and Alex Carey stuck down at six and seven when their batting styles make them best suited to the top three.
With opener Aaron Finch suddenly looking scratchy and Chris Lynn yet to find his feet in T20Is Australia’s top order is a mess. It is also very one-paced, with Finch, Lynn and Short typically eschewing singles in favour of scoring in blocks of four and six.
(Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty Images)
For the deciding third match against India today, Australia should play Carey in his favoured spot at the top of the order with the instructions to rotate the strike and anchor the innings. Should Carey be dismissed early, then Australia should consider promoting McDermott up the order to take over that role from the wicketkeeper.
Short’s form warrants him being dropped, opening up a place for spin all-rounder Ashton Agar at seven behind McDermott. Agar has been Australia’s second-most economical bowler in T20Is this year – after leg-spinner Adam Zampa – going at a miserly 6.97 runs per over.
An attack of Mitchell Starc, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Andrew Tye, Zampa and Agar is close to Australia’s best-possible combination, even with all players fit and available.
Australia’s best lineup for today’s third T20I against India in Sydney
1. Aaron Finch
2. Alex Carey (wk)
3. Chris Lynn
4. Glenn Maxwell
5. Marcus Stoinis
6. Ben McDermott
7. Ashton Agar
8. Nathan Coulter-Nile
9. Mitchell Starc
10. Andrew Tye
11. Adam Zampa
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I have a feeling Lynn isn't far away. He played a couple of innings where he was looking pretty good without making the big score, and the last couple of matches involved a 10-over match where everyone just had to swing for the fences from get-go, and one where he got pushed way down the order. We need to have one or two batsmen up the order who can bat long, turn over strike and anchor the innings while still keeping a good strike going, but we also want a one or two batsmen like Lynn who can be destructive and just turn the match on it's head when he gets it right. Obviously he needs to pull out a couple of those innings where he gets it right reasonably soon, but I think he can.
keith hurst
Roar Pro
I have watched the last 7 T 20 games played by Australia and are amazed at the lack of tactical awareness shown by the players and coaches. We went through "must hit out in the power play" to "don't throw away your wicket". Of course neither is the solution. T 20 prolonged batting success comes not from everyone hitting 4's and 6's but from the whole team moving the score along. Have they forgotten the humble single and the turning over the strike. Yes they have. Their bowling is not bad but the emphasis should not be on wickets but economy. Both Tye and Coulter-Nile take wickets but go at over 8 an over. Not good enough. Our lack of emphasis on spin bowling is killing us. Let's blast them out only work on a fast wicket. How may of those are served up in T20 games. The top T 20 bowlers are spinners. We need at least 3 full time spinners. Wake up Justin
Graham
Guest
Is mitch marsh injured? He's ok at this format I hope we can eventually see warner (upon return) finch lynn maxwell m marsh stoinis carey agar starc zampa hazelwood power all the way down and 3 spin options
AREH
Roar Guru
Despite being a dominant short-form player domestically, with some blistering performances so far, I remain seriously unsure about whether he is International quality at present.
The Bush
Roar Guru
It’s moments like that which make you wonder what the coach actually does.
Maxwell Charlesworth
Roar Rookie
He's the captain. He gets asked about players and their performances, he has to respond. Good on him for being honest about Maxwell's performances, he had just made scores of 19,11 and 15. And considering you are talking about Finch's comments against Maxwell in the ODI arena, Finch averages 44.8 in ODI's for 2018 (11 innings.
JamesH
Roar Guru
Short looked in his element in the T20Is last summer. Played a couple of really good knocks. I suspect his confidence was shot after the IPL and he simply hasn’t regained it. Looks hesitant to trust his instincts. A spell out of the side is probably due.
Ben
Roar Rookie
Maxwell and Carey bat good together. They are quick between the wickets and don’t chew up deliveries. Maxwell did very well in Sri Lanka opening and with finch struggling it is worth a try.
Ozibatla
Guest
Too right Ben! Those who live in glass house shall not throw stones. I wonder if there has been a unified agreement within those high up in the Australian team heirarchy ie: selectors, coach, captain, fellow senior players etc. I have never witnessed such public criticism of one player within the national setup by his so called "teammates". Perhaps it was viewed as a way of motivating Maxwell and getting the best out of him. Who knows, maybe no one likes him. Regardless, this sort of public airing of ones dirty laundry has gotta stop.
Ozibatla
Guest
Cheers for the good news Ronan.
KenoathCarnt
Roar Rookie
Glad to see you have changed your mind on Darcy Short Ronan. We had a disagreement about him earlier pointing out that although his average was good his form was lacking ever since the IPL. Ultimately I would love to see Khawaja open as I believe he is our best opener in T20 and was our best batsmen in the last T20 world cup.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
This is Australia's last T20I for the summer, they don't have any against Sri Lanka, just two Tests.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Maxwell's been doing a fantastic job at four over the past 18 months so I'd leave him there, he's the one part of Australia's T20I lineup that's working right now so no need to move him. But Lynn needs to show something really soon or like Short he'll have to be dropped.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
It's particularly infuriating when Australia refuse to alter their batting lineup mid-innings in ODIs, like when they're 3-50 and in need of consolidating for 15 overs and they send out the dashing Maxwell instead of Carey.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Labuschagne has only made 42 runs in his entire T20 career, so I'd say no, but he is a decent middle-order option in 50 over cricket.
Ben
Roar Rookie
Finch said of Maxwell in the Odis: "If you look at Glenn's stats recently, he probably hasn't made as many runs as he would have liked as a pure batsman," Finch should focus on himself as he hasn’t justified his position as captain let alone as a pure batsmen. He is averaging 9.6 from 10 innings.
Ozibatla
Guest
I havnt cared to take a look at our summer schedule thus far. This surely isnt the last of the T20 circus?
BurgyGreen
Guest
I'd be happy with that if it means he plays a full season for the Canes
Simoc
Guest
Yes that is what he's saying but Short was so woeful in the last IPL he's unlikely to be wanted in the short term by to many franchisees around the world. Then again Maxwell was also terrible in the last IPL. Hope he has saved some money. We may need Duckworth Lewis to rescue us again unless something drastically different happens (like Finch scoring runs) this game.
Basil M
Roar Rookie
So what your saying is that Short is a one trick pony that beats up on domestic bowlers but is out of his depth at International level? Pretty much sounds like Kieron Pollard, but he’s managed to forge a multi million dollar career out of it.