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Watching Marcus Harris, Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb, and Travis Head sacrifice their wickets against India at Perth yesterday was like watching the Wallabies constantly butcher rugby basics of pass, catch, support, retain possession and tackle.
Blessed with a 43-run first innings lead, all the Australians had to do was stick to batting basics to play every ball on its merits.
Not one of the four did what was required.
Harris shouldered arms and lost his off stump, bowled for the first time in his last 36 first class digs – what poor timing to let his defences down.
Marsh hooked a bouncer when he should have let the ball pass through to the keeper, to be caught by the keeper instead.
Handscomb has the same defensive flaw as Aaron Finch, falling away to his right, leaving his head outside the line of flight and susceptible to be trapped in front – that’s exactly what happened.
Head made exactly the same mistake yesterday as he did in the first dig, back-cutting to be caught at third man. Doing it once deserved a reprimand, do it in successive digs is inexcusable.
He trudged off dragging his bat, with head bowed, knowing what he did was dumb, dumb, dumb. If Australia lose this Test Head will be a prime candidate for most responsible.
(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Usman Khawaja wasn’t too flash either, back-cutting after Head’s dismissal that flew past Ajinka Rahane at slip.
Had Virat Kohli been there, Khawaja would be in the shed with 24 against his name instead of starting the fourth day on 41 not out with his skipper Tim Paine on eight.
These two, plus the injured-fingered Finch who had to retire hurt at tea yesterday, plus the bowlers must put at least 80 more on the board to lead by 255 on a drop-in track that is a bit two-faced with the cracks widening every day.
There is one major factor in the Australian’s favour with Test cricket having a habit of repeating itself.
India’s two champion run-getters – Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara – are not nearly as successful in their second digs of a Test.
Kohli has scored 4482 at 62.25 in his first digs with 20 tons and eight half-centuries, but only 2009 at 42.74 in his second innings with just five tons, and 11 half-centuries.
Pujara has made 3567 runs at 58.47 in his first innings with 14 tons, and 11 half-centuries, but only 1556 at 37.95 in his second innings with two tons, and nine half-centuries.
Both Kohli and Pujara are well aware of those shortcomings, but it’s comforting for Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and the wicket-taking Nathan Lyon to also know both Indian batsmen are vulnerable.
But it won’t matter if the Australians collapse today to let India bounce away to a 2-nil series lead.
Then the suicidal batsmen of yesterday can start biting their fingernails.