They were revered as one of the most potent bowling attacks in world cricket. However, for the past six Tests, it has been revealed that troubling times are ahead for Australian bowling attack.
Unfortunately for Aussie fans, the troubling times are set to occur in the short term and for the foreseeable future.
So, just how have the likes of Mitch Starc, Josh Hazelwood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon gone from being one of the world’s most-feared attacks into cannon fodder? It hasn’t taken long but they rarely looked like threatening the Indians at all.
Jokes aside. people are within their rights to question whether the use of sandpaper was more than just a one-off event?
After all we’ve seen none of the prodigious reverse swing, the kind we were accustomed to seeing, the kind which rooted England in the last Ashes, in the latest Indian Test series.
Now that the scrutiny is on the Aussies, where has the swing gone?
I’d suggest that getting to the core of this very un-Australian problem is a little more complex than an appeal to P-90 grit.
My own personal belief is that the change of culture, personified by the lack of mongrel and the loss of the ‘win at all costs mentality’ has significantly reduced the potency of the Aussie attack.
With this new ideology – including a commitment to whatever elite honesty is – the Aussie team will continue to fail until they return to their old ways.
It’s like trying to fire missiles from a BB gun. The powder is dry but the gun is missing.
Australia built themselves into being the best and most fearsome attack in world cricket through a tough, uncompromising attitude.
Now, they look a shadow of their former selves.
What are your thoughts about the struggling Aussie pace attack?
dan ced
Guest
Three best bowlers in shield this season are probably Tremain, J.Richardson, and Mennie. I'd be happy to see any of them in the test team. Boland most wickets but I don't rate him, even since I saw him bowl the least threatening trash possible in Glenelg, live, a few years ago. I don't feel he would translate well to tests, and his ODI efforts kinda prove that.
rob hoile
Roar Rookie
tremain and boland have been dominating shield for years, one or both deserve a crack. should be easy to justify with "rotation" etc, but their performance warrants selection on their own merits
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Buggered ??? Coming into this Test series India had played 4 more Test matches than Australia in 2018. most of these were on the road . Dale Steyn tweeted prior to the series that he thought Australia would win as the Indians would be knackered. .....Turns out it seems to be the other way around.
Harvey Wilson
Roar Rookie
Starc is very much a Mitchell Johnson clone. At his best he'll get anyone out. All too often though, he sprays is around and leaks runs. Hence is average not far under 30. The best are in the low 20s.
Geoff Foley
Roar Rookie
Yeah, but you need to look then at how often in the last 12 months has Australia had to bowl first on roads. They have had to bowl first in 6 of the past 7 tests and conceded a lot of runs in Dubai, Melbourne and Sydney when the decks were at their best for batting. South Africa also rattled up the runs in the last test at Jo'burg when none of them wanted to be there.
Lazer
Roar Rookie
He may, or may not have. We will never truly know. One thing I do know is that anyone who says they played during the 90's and doesn't remember a sledging and win at all costs culture are lying or suffering from amnesia. The fact that CA have adopted ridiculous slogans such as "elite honesty" and "make Australians proud again" proves that a significant rebranding effort is taking place and with it, a massive cutural shift. I'm just saying Australia are not ready for that yet and the latest set of results proves that. I wonder what Lillie, McGrath, Thomo, Hughes think about this PC rubbish.
sheek
Roar Guru
Well Lazar, Sometimes you need to be careful about bagging a guy about what he knows or doesn't know. Seems like Rob has some genuine first-hand experience to talk about. BTW Rob, small typo error, Scuderi not Sceduri. Don't worry, we all make those minor mistakes.
sheek
Roar Guru
Well said DJDJ.
IAP
Guest
Bumrah is a chucker
Lazer
Roar Rookie
80's and 90's Rob. You know, Lillie, Pascoe, Thomo, Hogg, McDermott, Lawson, Hughes, Reid, McGrath, et, al. Surely you remember the win at all costs mentality that was entrenched in the tea, back then, even if it meant, cheating, lying and playing outside of the spirit of the game, you know like the 'under-arm', Dyer's 'catch' down leg, 'Waugh's 'don't walk if you nick it', et, al. It truly fascinates me how fans like yourself refuse to acknowledge the cultural shift Australia are currently going through. Is it because you are ashamed of the way the team conducted itself in the past? All I can say is that it worked wonders for you. For nearly two decades they dominated world cricket. Yes there were expectional and once in a life time talents, but they also operated within a win at all costs framework too.
Lazer
Roar Rookie
I'm old enough to remember seeing froth and vitriol drip from the mouths of Pascoe, Lillie, Thomo, Hogg, McDermott, Reid, Hughes, McGrath etc, so yes I am able to compare the current crop and culture with the that of the past and no it wasn't the stuff of faiytales and folk lore. It was real and it was awesome. Can't imagine Lillie, Thomo, Hughes, McGrath being restricted to the PC culture currently espoused by the current crop of players and expect by the ACB. Since we're on the subject of culture I wonder why you all of a sudden appeal to the return of the days of Border and Waugh, et al? Surely you realise those guys built their empires upon a "win at all costs" culture, including if it meant cheating and lying and playing outside of the spirit of the game. Greg Dyer's 'catch' down leg, Chappel under-arm, Waugh's 'don't walk if you nick it', Lillie's histrionics ring a bell? The point is this, Rob, the new PC approach is very un-Australian and it appears not to be working. A return to the old paths and dark arts is what Aussie need to do to become winners again. I miss that mongrel.
Sanjay Poojar
Guest
Indian pacers are to strong Aussie weak
Rob
Guest
How old are you Lazer? The cricketers were possibly a rougher lot in appearance years ago but you have been reading too many folk tales. The culture they need to find is McCoskier, Border, Steve Waugh type inspiration. Some intensity in the fielding and deadly accurate bowling that makes opposing batsmen worried about how they can score a run.
Rob
Guest
I’ve played cricket against the Sceduri boys, Mitchell Johnson, Ben Edmondson, Mark Walsh in NQ and half the Queensland team in the mid 1990’s at the mighty North Vikings in Brisbane. You know the era when Australia actually ruled the world in cricket. They didn’t carry on like tools. Well maybe Walshie but he was a keeper who tried hard to get under your skin if it worked. He would also talk to you about his tip in the last race if he thought it could effect your concentration. Good players often fire up with chirp champion. Bowl well and give them nothing in the field will get far better results from my experience. McGrath, Warne, Gilly are all my vintage buddy. The current lot are pretenders. What generation are you from Lazer?
JoM
Roar Rookie
I agree but now plenty of comments state things like they were only good because Warner was tampering with the ball for all those years. I have seen it everywhere and they probably have as well. They have gone from being really good under McDermott to going backwards under Saker and it has to change.
Matt (2)
Guest
James Paterson's 1st over in the tonight's BBL game said a lot. Every ball was pitched up at a good or fuller length. He caught an outside edge that went through 2nd slip. He was driven a couple of times but looked threatening as the ball had a chance to swing. The Australian bowlers seem to be bowling with the purpose of trying not to concede runs. They bang it it short of a length and are economical. The Indians wait them out and bat time. Dale Steyn gets driven a lot and has an economy rate above 3. He does get many wickets because he keeps it full and opens up three modes of dismissal (bowled, LBW and caught behind). Bowling short of a length gets you one mode of dismissal (caught behind). Maybe Dale Steyns method is the way.
SalemsLot
Roar Rookie
I've got a funny feeling Starc won't be at the Ashes. May well retire after this home series
Andy O
Guest
Hi , Rest of the world rep here. Well England anyway. I’m afraid to tell you the pubs of the country are not packed with fearful cricket fans worried about any of those three. I’d hate it if you bought Siddle though. Was brilliant over here last summer for Essex. Great bowler in English conditions.
Ruaridh
Guest
Clearly lost some of their potency as a bowling unit because the Aussies aren’t applying sand paper to the ball anymore. It’s got nothing to do with the team no longer being rude or racist to opponents (eg Mo Ali) anymore. They’d need to bring back the sandpaper to achieve the reverse swing they did against the poms and SA to have a chance against India (coincidentally a team beaten by the poms and SA recently)
Lillie didn't need a ball shiner
Guest
They've been bowling pies. they don't work the ball with sweat .All the brilliant ideas for getting batsmen out are gone Australia really miss McDermott all saker has given us is p120grt after his minty stint as England's bowling coach . Have you ever seen an Australian bowler stop the game and have the confidence to change a plan on the run ? Where is the psychology in bowling now days from this group ? Akram sweated, shined the ball and got reverse swing .there isn't much variation in the attack to take advantage of different conditions during a five day game . They don't use variation when they bowl to a plan. it's like a monoculture of short or full . Not enough reverse rotation when they try to swing a ball . Actions are modified to reduse stress so much no one swings the ball anymore. Just pick them on shield form and they will lean to take wickets . Bowling coach bfkt