Ever since prime run-getters Steve Smith and David Warner copped their 12-month suspensions the Australian batting order has been brittle at best.
In the nine Test innings since their departure, 21 have passed 30, 13 have reached 50 and only Usman Khawaja has gone on to three figures. That’s a terrible waste of a start, where impatience has been the governing factor, not treating opposition bowlers with the respect they deserve.
Low percentage shots invariably result in a walk back to the shed.
The culprits
Travis Head: 72, 36, 72 and 58.
Tim Paine: 62, 61*, 41 and 38.
Aaron Finch: 49, 62, 39 and 50.
Usman Khawaja: 53, 85 and 141.
Shaun Marsh: 60 and 45 after a successive run of 16, 7, 7, 0, 3, 4 and 2.
Marcus Harris: 70.
Joe Burns: 42 of a team total of 119 in a heavy defeat to South Africa in Johannesburg, only to be unceremoniously dumped.
Pat Cummins: 50.
Mitchell Starc: 34.
The big bonus has been offie Nathan Lyon, who has been putting in the extra hours to improve his batting even though he’s No. 10 in the order. His last three digs have been 24*, 38* and 9* to produce positive results and send a message to the recognised batsmen above him: Olay every ball on its merits.
So there’s plenty of work for coach Justin Langer to get the utmost out of a depleted order. While he’s at it, he must find the genuine all-rounder this side urgently needs.
The all-rounder was Shane Watson, and while Moises Henriques, Glenn Maxwell, James Faulkner, Mitchell Marsh, Hilton Cartwright and Magnus Lubaschagne have been given a shot, they have all fallen short to become more liabilities than assets.
Langer can’t rely on the current four-man attack of Starc, Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Lyon to last the distance in four Tests against India if these heatwave conditions keep sapping them of energy. This Perth Test is a perfect example of what challenges Langer faces.
Winning the toss for the first time in his five-Test career as captain, Paine had the chance to bat first, and a first time century opening stand between Harris and Finch was a huge bonus on a lively new drop-in Perth strip. But to score only 327 after such a rousing start was a bitter disappointment.
Let’s see how Justin Langer improves his team from here on in.
pakistanstar
Roar Rookie
If we don't have an all-rounder capable of playing test cricket then we shouldn't be playing one just for the sake of it. The best way to keep our bowlers fresh is to have a top six that can last at least 100 overs, having a "bits and pieces" play would hinder that. As for our batting woes, time to start asking questions of the batting coaches both in the national & state setups. Sloppy techniques are on show in the Shield too.
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
Despite not having their top two batsmen, Australian came close to winning the first Test. Not sure what game you've been watching, but it certainly hasn't been the current Test series between Australia and India.
Simoc
Guest
These guys are relatively new. 326 is a vast improvement on previous first innings scores. The bowling has been as tight as we've seen from India (in Adelaide) so 60 would feel like a ton. They just need to get lucky. Having regular contributors is the key. Khawaja will come good at some stage and we're at least in the contest. Indias batting is as frail as Australias (outside Kohli).Its shaping up as an excellent series.
Spanner
Roar Rookie
Exactly danger, everyone needs to come to terms with the fact there are no allrounders in our country. We play 6 batters and rotate the bowlers if they need a rest. Tremain, Copeland, Bird, Pattinson, Coulter-Nile, Mennie etc, are all all ready to go. A couple of relief overs from a net bowler who bats no 6 will not help at all !
Big Daddy
Guest
Most notable stat is that the Australian batsman have failed to get above 70 against a pace attack that is arguably 5th rated (nz with boult and southern) are vying with them for 4 the spot and on our home track. Bowling is not a problem at moment.
Jock the sock
Guest
Langer “ just go out have fun don’t worrry about winning, just be nice.” Softest bunch of losers I’ve ever seen in the history of oz cricket. No fight at all.
David Lord
Expert
dangertroy, a big part of the top six problem will be solved in March when Steve Smith and David Warner return. But in the interim the current top six need to cut out the low percentage shots that are costing them their wickets, and bat within their limitations. Allan Border did it all through his stellar career, but none of the current top six will score over 11000 Test runs batting the way they do.
dangertroy
Roar Rookie
The reason that they've struggled to find a genuine allrounder is that they are few and far between. There aren't that many players going around that you would pick for either skill. Shane Watson was the closest we've had in some time. I think he was underrated as a bowler, but he would never have been picked as a frontline quick. Yesterday I was listening to commentators talk about Pat Cummins becoming a 'genuine allrounder'. But if he can't bowl, he'll never play as a pure batsman. But for some reason we keep insisting that we need one, despite the fact during our golden age the team rarely had one. What we need is to have a bit of faith in our part-timers. Head and finch can both put some overs in if the quicks need a break, plus Lyon is capable of bowling most of the day if required. What the side really needs is a proper top 6, so that the bowlers have bigger scores to defend and can bowl to attacking fields for longer