The absence of banned batting stars Steve Smith and David Warner gave an opportunity for Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh to be the main men this Test summer.
Both have failed dismally.
Khawaja and Marsh are by far Australia’s most experienced batsmen, having played 39 and 38 Tests respectively.
To underscore how pivotal they were in this series, consider that the other five specialist batsmen Australia have used – Marcus Harris, Aaron Finch, Travis Head, Peter Handscomb and Marnus Labuschagne – have played an average of just seven Tests each.
This was the summer in which Khawaja and Marsh could finally emerge from the shadows of Smith and Warner to become Australia’s batting lynchpins.
Australia needed both those men to average 45-plus in this series and feature in the top three runscorers from either side. Instead Khawaja has averaged 27 and Marsh 26, and they are languishing down in the eighth and ninth spots on the runscoring list.
The intense public focus on the struggles of the Marsh brothers, Finch and Handscomb has seen Khawaja largely escape criticism.
I had expected this summer to be Khawaja’s breakout moment, the season when he would finally stamp himself as a true star of Test cricket in the way Indian quick Jasprit Bumrah has.
This belief was formed after watching his supreme performance in Australia’s two-Test series against Pakistan in the UAE in October.
That was the high point of Khawaja’s career, the first time he had ever dominated a series in Asia. The first time he had ever been ‘The Man’ for Australia. That has been followed immediately by arguably the lowest point of his Test career in this series against India.
Granted, Khawaja has had several worse series from a statistical point of view. But those failed series came when he was the third or fourth best batsman in the Australian team and so carried far less responsibility.
Australia’s Usman Khawaja has been under pressure to perform this summer. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File)
Whereas in this series he was Australia’s most seasoned and most important batsman. He was meant to anchor their batting line-up.
Khawaja has only executed this task in the sense that he’s weighed them down. In seven innings he has made only one score of significance – 72 in the second innings at Perth as Australia batted India out of the Test.
Having played so confidently against Pakistan’s slow bowlers, Khawaja’s demons against spin have returned. Four times in this series he has been dismissed by India’s spinners.
Twice he has gifted his wicket by running down the wicket and looking to thrash them, as he did yesterday when he attempted to launch Kuldeep Yadav and succeeded only in miscuing to midwicket.
It was a reckless, irresponsible shot. At 0-72 Australia were constructing a great platform and Khawaja, on 27 from 71 balls, needed to be the backbone of his side’s innings.
Instead he gifted his wicket and left that labour to others. Not surprisingly, Australia’s rookie-laden batting line-up could not build upon the good start.
Khawaja’s batting colleagues decided to compete with him to perform the laziest dismissal of the day. Harris batted beautifully and had a century there to be taken when on 79 he played a half-hearted cut shot at a non-threatening ball from Ravi Jadeja and chopped on.
Marcus Harris of Australia (right) leaves the field at the close of play on day one of the Boxing Day Test match between Australia and India at the MCG in Melbourne, Wednesday, December 26, 2018. (AAP Image/Hamish Blair)
Then Marsh prodded uncertainly at another fairly ordinary Jadeja delivery and nicked to slip.
Having looked good in his knock of 38 from 95 balls, Labuschagne fell into an obvious trap when he chipped a delivery from Mohammed Shami straight to short midwicket.
Head, too, had looked solid en route to making 20 from 56 balls only to spoon a full toss back to Kuldeep.
Finally Australian captain Tim Paine, who typically puts a high price on his wicket, was bowled by Kuldeep as he left a massive gap between bat and pad playing a loose drive.
That left Australia 6-198 on an SCG pitch which has been fantastic for batting across the first three days. Australian bowler Pat Cummins highlighted just how friendly the conditions are as he cantered to 25no at stumps.
It is now left to he and Peter Handscomb (28no) to try to try to push Australia’s total beyond 300.
Realistically, it will take a miraculous effort from this pair and Australia’s tail for the home side to avoid defeat. Australia are staring at a 3-1 home series loss.
Leebola
Roar Rookie
Agree completely. If he wasn't up to the game mentally, he should have voluntarily stepped aside.
DingoGray
Roar Guru
Khawaja is an easy target. His last two Australian Summers have been fanatastic. He did well for the 1st time in "Asian" conditions prior to getting injured. He had a pretty ordinary build up with injury prep and then Family issues. Not sure the tone of the article is required. I would ask, what's Shaun Marsh excuse? He did not do as well away when he was expected to score runs in those conditions. The Coach defends him and states he's world class. And then again he's let everyone down when yet again. How about we go after him? He's scored how many 50's in his last how many digs? Even in Khawaja ordinary series, he's still occupied the crease and still played a match winning innings. When was the last time you can say that about Shaun Marsh?
Pedro The Fisherman
Roar Rookie
Did you expect an article about Khawaja's poor showing to be endlessly discussing Marsh's poor form? Perhaps that will be a different article entitled 'Marsh has failed Australia...'?
Cantab
Guest
I’ve said from the beginning that he shouldn’t have been picked. If he’s mental health is in a good place at the moment, then he’s not human. It was ‘criminal’ to lump him up the order and put further pressure on him.
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
Khawaja got a 100 in a 4 day match in India. for Aussie A against an India A team that included Kuldeep.
Saint Peter
Guest
Very good article. Unfortunately we are going to have to wait for some young players to average over 40 in first class cricket before we can start to build a good batting side again. Hopefully this will coincide with quality fast bowlers coming through. Jeff Thompson was more consistent than Starc. Also I question why our bowlers use the scrambled seam as their main ball. No wonder we can't swing the ball like every other country. Coaching needs to lift as well.
Steele
Guest
Uzzy gets a pass from me. Had a bit on his plate to say the least. Got a better test average than Mark Waugh. It’s the inability to find any quality back ups that hurt more. Burns, Patterson, Wade and Maxwell’s non inclusions hurt too. I didn’t expect us to win, but a combination of pitches suited to the Indian’s, batting second and selecting guys on hunches instead of merit has made it a real landslide unfortunately. I really think we should go down the route of the coach being the sole selector. Let the coach manage the squad the way he sees fit and then if it doesn’t succeed he will be accountable . It’s too easy to hide behind this idea of a panel.
Lord_Robbie
Roar Rookie
Another day, another failures by the veterans. Seriously why are the team chockful of veterans if they can't score? Harris and Labuschange top scored in the first innings yet combined they have played less than 10 tests! Khawaja, Marsh and Paine have all failed to score even 30!!!! At what point do you say enough is enough? I think a lot of us will tolerate Paine's up and down form with the bat as he is keeper and captain; but Khawaja has come back from injury and failed spectacularly. And Shaun Marsh has failed yet again! 11 months and he is averaging than 20 in that period! Not to mention that Head who has been maligned for getting up stupidly throughout the series has scored more runs for Australia than anyone else this series. Heck, even the much maligned Handscombe outscored all three of them and I am not necessarily advocating for him (though his test career average is higher than Shaun Marsh). Where is Kurtis Patterson and Jake Lehmann? Sad as I am for Glenn Maxwell, Daniel Hughes and Joe Burns, they will all be in their thirties at the end of this year. We need people who won't be worked out and replaced in 5 years. Paine and Steve Smith should be the sole veterans in their thirties in the team. Goodbye Dave 'Pu,nchout' Warner, you are too old for this team. Again we will read articles about the Australian selectors picking Baggy Green wielders for their potential, even though half the batting team is over 30 and it should be about performance not potential at that point. Harris, Renshaw, Patterson, Lehmann, Head, Paine (c,+), Labuschange, Cummins (v-c), Starc, Lyon and Hazelwood. That's a team to build around. Do we have a ready made replacement for the brilliant Nathan Lyon? Or for Pat Cummins, if he is injured? How I hope we do. Anyway, that's my take on the team. We don't want to end up like the Windies, where potential players born around 1989 play other sports, leaving the team bereft and in a constant state of bust and renewal (as Australia has been since 2007, with the occasional moments of boom).
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
Can't speak for the public, but I'd have no problems slotting Smith & Warner back in as soon as they complete their life bans.
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
Brendon: Pointing out that he had serious family distractions isn't actually "giving him a pass". I thought the OP was being even crasser than usual.
Baggy_Green
Roar Pro
I predict that in a couple of years Khawaja would be the new Shaun Marsh - someone we will be wondering how he is keeping his spot inspite of non-performance !!! lol
anon
Roar Pro
He's got out playing shots that would have been stupid in a T20 game. Disappointing, lack of situational awareness, gives his wicket away. Doesn't seem as invested as other players.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Yeah and I think it’s unreasonable to expect him to be our best batsman and not. Maybe he’s not capable of being our best batsman. Maybe he’s just capable of good test level performances and he’s in a slump due to a number of mentioned factors. That’s still good enough.
Nudge
Roar Rookie
Spot on Brendan
JamesH
Roar Guru
It's still a very reasonable explanation as to why he didn't perform, though.
Rob
Guest
Martin Love was an absolute gun at cover driving the ball. You didn't bowl up in the slot to him. I agree about Burns being a worry with going to hard at the ball wide of off. Burns hits the ball in the air way too often to be a good opener. Martin Love smoked half volleys like a forward defence with out even getting out of first gear IMO. Back of a length top of off Lovey could be a bit venerable early but that gets plenty of good bats.
jameswm
Roar Guru
Nothing a batting coach couldn’t iron out? If not what do those coaches do?
Paul Giles
Guest
People got fooled by his runs in the first test in the U.A.E. Australia's incompetence with the bat saved that pitch from getting a poor rating, losing 10/60 on a road is the worst batting I have ever seen. What's been disappointing is that Ashwin hasn't played in the last 3 tests, yet Khawaja has still had trouble with Jadeja and kuldeep.
Rooster lover
Roar Rookie
Good article Ronan. Totally agree but therein lies the problem at the moment we do not have a no 3 batsman, no 4, no5 etc. We are really struggling with batting, putting more pressure on our bowlers and showing the lack of depth we have in that department at the moment.
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
@jameswm: I like Joey Burns. He's a good Qld lad and as happily funny as they come, but I don't see him as long-term Test player due to a technique problem. Like Stewy Law and Lovey before him, for some reason, they all have a penchant for off-drives on the up. A shot that's risky against high-quality bowlers and on low-quality pitches, both of which are prevalent atm.