It may be just a single victory, but there were positives galore for Australia from their solid win over India in the ODI series opener last night.
So dire has Australia’s form been in ODIs over the past two years that we’ve become accustomed to depressing post-match discussions focusing on tactical errors and which players laboured.
At the SCG, however, a host of Australians produced fine performances to guide the hosts to an upset win over powerhouses India.
Australia were missing basically half of the XI they are likely to field in the World Cup, with Steve Smith and David Warner banned, and pace trio Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins being rested.
In the absence of these stars, Peter Handscomb (73), Usman Khawaja (59), Shaun Marsh (54) and Marcus Stoinis (47*) stepped up with the bat, while green Western Australia quicks Jyhe Richardson (4-26) and Jason Behrendorff (2-39) were hugely impressive.
Australia showcased a new, more conservative ODI batting approach, having trialled a helter-skelter style in 2018. Last year Australia stacked their side with blasters like Chris Lynn and D’Arcy Short in an apparent effort to emulate the frenetic batting style of England, the world’s best ODI team.
With that strategy having failed comprehensively, Australia went back to go forward, reverting to an old-school, steadier mode of ODI batting. Instead of shooting for the stars and trying to thrash their way to 330-plus, they kept wickets in hand for a late charge.
In doing so they made 5-288 from their 50 overs, a total which looked perhaps 10-15 runs shy of a par score at the time but proved to be beyond India.
Khawaja and Marsh did a good job of rebuilding the Aussie innings with a 92-run stand after the early wickets of Aaron Finch (6) and Alex Carey (24) left them in trouble at 2-41.
(AAP Image/Paul Miller)
Neither Khawaja nor Marsh relied on boundaries, content to keep the scoreboard ticking over by pushing the ones and twos nicely. Khawaja was not at his fluent best but played some lovely shots against India’s spinners. He has been starved of chances in ODIs despite owning a commanding List A record and has a gilded opportunity in this series to push his World Cup credentials.
Marsh, meanwhile, already has one foot in Australia’s World Cup squad after being their best ODI batsman over the past year, averaging 59 with three tons. He adds crucial stability to Australia’s middle order and has improved upon his ability to shift gears during an ODI innings.
Handscomb did just this wonderfully well yesterday. The Victorian took time to get his eye in, moving to 15 from 21 balls, before upping the ante smoothly. Handscomb hammered 58 from his next 39 balls without going into slog-mode. His innings of 73 from 61 balls was a mature and skilful knock.
(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Australia have long lacked a middle order batsman who can change seamlessly between batting responsibly and taking the bowlers on. This was a role executed with aplomb for years by the likes of Mike Hussey, Michael Clarke and George Bailey.
Handscomb has a long way to go to prove he belongs in ODIs. But he does have a style of batting which this Australia top seven needs for the sake of balance. Stoinis finished with a flourish to make 47 from 43 balls. But he should have started his charge earlier, having dawdled to 23 from 30 balls despite Australia having six wickets in the shed at that point and less than four overs left to bat.
Australia’s total of 288 suddenly looked imposing when their rookie new ball pair of Richardson and Behrendorff scythed through the Indian top order, reducing them to 3-4. First Behrendorff got a delivery to seam back in to star opener Shikhar Dhawan, trapping him LBW. Then Richardson had a slice of fortune when the world’s best ODI batsman Virat Kohli flicked a ball off his pads straight to square leg.
There was no denying the skill involved in Richardson’s next wicket, however. He bowled an out-swinger first ball to the new batsman Ambati Rayudu and followed that with an off-cutter which caught him plumb in front.
Richardson is a very mature and crafty bowler for someone so young. The 22-year-old quick later saw Dinesh Karthik advancing at him, dug the ball in and earned an inside edge which rattled the stumps. T20 has been Richardson’s primary format to this stage of his career and it has helped him learn to think on his feet while bowling.
He has shown enough in his five ODIs and seven T20Is to give cause for excitement about the kind of white ball bowler he can become given time. For now he remains a work-in-progress, but an invigorating one.
His Western Australia teammate Behrendorff looks the finished article. The left armer is an enormously-gifted bowler in all three formats but has been let down by his body. I’ve long expected him to have a major impact at the international level. Behrendorff is tall, accurate, has decent pace, gets sharp bounce, swings the ball late and boasts good changeups.
There is so much to like about him. Behrendorff may well emerge as a wildcard for Australia in the World Cup. For now, however, he just needs to stay healthy, and Australia just needs to keep winning.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Have you ever seen Jhye Richardson and Alex De Minaur in the same place together? They could be twins.
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
Forget the coulda, shoulda, woulda stuff. Pretty solid win first up with most clearing the cobwebs.
Matt H
Roar Guru
Given they had played out their 50 overs something like three times last year, I can understand why they were so conservative. If confidence builds then they might go a bit harder.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Richardson is very impressive but it's early days, he has a way to go to leapfrog Hazlewood to play in high stakes World Cup matches IMO. But he's certainly well rounded and exciting.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Hitting a ball through the in-field at waist height is not unlucky for the batsman. Richardson forced Kohli's mistake. Control would have it over his head, along the ground or away from the fieldsman he knows is there. That was a batsman error...not bad luck.
Ben
Roar Rookie
If he doesn’t score runs than Hanscomb would allow an extra batsmen or bowler.
Nudge
Roar Rookie
Such a tough one Ronan. Who would you leave out out of the 4 quicks I’ve chosen? Starc to me is first picked and Cummins 2nd. Richardson was so impressive last night. I was more impressed with his death bowling than his opening spell. He just looked like an absolute pro at death bowling, and that’s something that we’ve lacked. A few different type of slower balls and hit just about everyone of his yorkers. Behrendorff is a great replacement for Starc. He just seems to be a wicket taker early in his opening spell. Can really swing the ball. Early wickets will be massive in the World Cup. Hazlewood very stiff but who goes out for him?
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
I think Handscomb is a great option as a keeper-batsman in ODIs but Carey has the job sewn up for a good while by the looks of it.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
No Hazlewood Nudge? The guy has an amazing ODI record - bowling average of 25 and an insane economy rate of just 4.73 runs per over.
Diamond Jackie
Roar Rookie
It looked to me like there were too many Australian batsmen playing for their place in the side. There was a lack of fluency. Maxwell coming in so late was crazy. We got a bit lucky - Indian players sent home, Dhoni given out when he shouldn't have been, batting second is always tougher at the SCG. We were 20-30 runs short and got away with it.... this time.
danno
Guest
Richardson and Dorf attacked the stumps bringing in two modes of dismissal, even the ball Kohli clipped to midwicket was heading for the stumps. The big 3 did not have one LBW during the India test series.
Ben
Roar Rookie
Marsh and stoinis lost us the game against sa. Marsh 106 off 102 balls and stoinis 63 off 76 both chewed up deliveries and left Maxwell and Carey the dirty work of saving the game that we lost by 40 runs.
Ben
Roar Rookie
Handscomb and Richardson won us the game. Finch and Carey failed, khawaja, marsh and stoinis all got bogged down and played selfish cricket which won’t win us games in the World Cup.
The Bush
Roar Guru
I like your line up Nudge. I like Carey at the top of the order and I don’t see a role for him down the order. The key is to get off to a better start and to hit out earlier, not at over 46. It seems amazing how far we’ve regressed when we were at the forefront of the tactic of building a platform, saving wickets and then playing a T20 from about over 30-35. There’s not point having two hitters in Stoinis and Maxwell if Stoinis is gonna play so conservatively. I like Agar there too, even more depth with the bat and he’s a great fieldsman. With Warner, Smith, Handscomb and Agar, the fielding is much better.
Hari
Guest
Hmm, all based on one ODI, not everyday you will find india 3/4!
RogerTA
Roar Rookie
Thanks for the tip.
Jake
Guest
I’d love to see Handscomb play as the keeper too. Would free up a spot for an extra bat or all rounder with Carey given the punt. He could still bat at 5 as the steadier in the middle order like a Dohni. Bancroft would be another option for this dual role if he got back into form.
Sgt Pepperoni
Roar Rookie
Are the Aus batsmen intending to go the whole summer without a 100?
Nudge
Roar Rookie
Is there one spot available between Handscomb, S.Marsh and Khawaja or is there 2 spots available between Handscomb, Khawaja, S.Marsh and Finch. I’m a massive fan of the keeper opening as it gives you more hitting depth towards the end of the innings. I think the difference between Handscomb and Marsh and khawaja is that Handscomb is so much more busy. He’s looking for singles from the start, he’s quick between wickets turning ones into 2’s. He runs between the wickets a little like Dean Jones use to. S.Marsh just struggled to keep up yesterday. You get Handscomb running with Warner and Smith and look out. Handscomb plays spin so much better than Khawaja and S.Marsh for that matter. I think yesterday we got the structure of our batting order about right. A few little minor tweaks in the mindset yesterday and we make 320. Khawaja obviously held us back just a touch and Stoinis has to adjust his mindset to the situation. 23 off 30 is fine if you’re batting at overs 35-40 but not the 46th over with Maxwell waiting in the sheds. A few minor tweaks and we could easily have got 320 without any major risks. The bowling was great and Richardson and Behrendorff have put pressure on the big 3. If Lyon is going to stay in the team he needs to be a wicket taker. Yesterday he didn’t really threaten and whenever Sharma and Dhoni wanted to hit him for 6 they did it so easily. Lyon was perhaps lucky he was bowling when India were trying to rebuild. If Lyon is going to be a bowler that bowls 10 overs 0 for 50 I think we’d be best to play Agar. He’s more economical than Lyon and strengthens a slight weakness at no 8. Having another big hitter at 8 gives the batting a bit more confidence in going a touch harder a bit earlier. I’m sticking with Finch. We need him to captain and think he has been too good in white ball cricket to not come good before the World Cup. My early team would be Warner Carey Finch Smith Handscomb Maxwell Stoinis Agar Cummins Richardson Starc Reserves Behrendorff Mitch Marsh Lyon/Zampa S.Marsh
Phillip
Guest
With the WC fast approaching there's really only one spot up for grabs for now, Khawaja, Marsh and Handscomb are the one's fighting for it and round 1 of this fight went to Handscomb. Between Stoinis and Marsh jr, Stoinis would be the pick but with our trustworthy selecters don't bet against the name Marsh. As for the bowlers perhaps after the one dayers they may actually realise their so-called top three pacemen ain't that special after all, not with that trash Starc's been bowling for the past year. Doesn't matter which spinner is picked, the ones the selecters favor will get pumped at the WC anyway.. a certain leg spinner down south sadly is on the selecters naughty list, right next to Maxwell's name