With Australia playing only one more Test before the Ashes, there are now doubts over the spots of veteran quicks Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood due to a stunning debut by young paceman Jhye Richardson.
The 22-year-old Richardson operated with a rare mix of accuracy, swing and frugality as he took 5-45 from 27 overs. The first-gamer not only bowled in a manner perfectly suited to English conditions but also produced a performance better than any seen from Starc or Hazlewood since the first Test in South Africa 11 months ago.
That experienced pair were outstanding during the home Ashes last summer, driving Australia to a 4-0 thrashing of England. But neither bowler has been anywhere near their peak since then, with Starc averaging 47 in his last nine Tests and Hazlewood averaging 37 in his last seven Tests.
Meanwhile, Pat Cummins has run amok, being Australia’s best bowler in the Test series against SA and India, and then slaughtering Sri Lanka with match figures of 10-62 as the hosts won by an innings in Brisbane yesterday.
Cummins and off-spinner Nathan Lyon should be the only two Aussie bowlers assured of their places in the starting line-up for the first Ashes Test from August 1.
That starting date for the Ashes is very significant in terms of considering potential pace selections in that it is 24 days later than when the 2015 Ashes commenced. This means the Ashes will take place much later in the English season when the weather typically gets colder and wetter, and in turn, the pitches are more seam-friendly.
Starc, in particular, has rarely made the most of green seaming conditions in his career – his strength is his ability to remain threatening on dull pitches thanks to his height and searing pace.
Hazlewood, with his greater accuracy, is much better suited to exploiting juicy pitches, on which accuracy is more important than pace or bounce. Australia must surely have learned this lesson in the last Ashes when express bowlers Starc and Mitchell Johnson were ineffective on the three seaming pitches served up, while the slower and more precise English pacemen dominated.
When finally in the last Test Australia picked an English-style seamer in Peter Siddle he was easily their best bowler, taking 6-67 for the match while going at just 1.8 runs per over.
With Cummins capable of acting as their intimidating strike bowler in the Ashes, Australia’s attack would then be best balanced by picking one swing bowler and one accurate seam bowler.
(AAP Image/Julian Smith)
The seam bowler position should be contested between Hazlewood and Siddle, who has massive experience in English conditions having taken 146 wickets at 26 in first-class cricket in the UK. Siddle was rampant in English county cricket just six months ago, grabbing 37 wickets at 16.
Then the swing bowler spot would be a battle between Starc, Richardson and Chris Tremain. I have argued for some time now that Starc is not suited to seaming pitches in England due to his inaccuracy and that he should not be picked in such conditions.
Richardson, however, is the first genuine swing bowler Australia have had in a long time, capable of curving the new and old ball in both directions. Even Ryan Harris, Australia’s best swing bowler of the past decade, did not have this same ability.
Richardson swung the pink Kookaburra ball prodigiously throughout his debut yet still managed to maintain an impeccable line and length, sending down ten maidens among his 27 overs. He also earned pronounced seam movement for the same reason he was getting sharp swerve – consistently great seam position.
Richardson has also had the red Kookaburra ball bending like a banana in the Sheffield Shield. That suggests he could be even more lethal with the English Dukes, which move much more than the Kookaburra.
Granted, Richardson is just one Test into his career. There are no guarantees he will perform as well in his second Test against Sri Lanka in Canberra this week. But if he does, and Starc continues to labour, then Richardson should become the front runner to play as Australia’s specialist swing bowler in the Ashes.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I remember when I was younger having days where the ball seemed to swing a mile when it was starting on the line I wanted it to finish on, thus ending up really wide, but then if I adjusted the line to allow for the swing, it wouldn’t swing, and just went straight, meaning it ended up wide the other way, or on the pads or things like that. Watching Starc in that test reminded me of that. He would bowl a ball that started on a line just outside off (to a left hander) then swung lots, ending up too wide and going through to the keeper. Then the next ball he bowled went down leg. I’m assuming because he was trying to adjust his line to allow for the swing, but then that one didn’t swing. I know that frustration. Fortunately, it was something that only happened occasionally, but when it happened it was really tough to work out, and often resulted in cross-seam bowling as the only option to get the line reasonable! Really felt for Starc there. Unfortunately, that’s not just been happening very occasionally for him, but basically all summer!
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I think the point is that with English greentops, the bowler just needs to not be trying to much with the ball, but just plonking it on the right line and length consistently, ball in, ball out. Last Ashes in England, most of the Aussie bowlers struggled to do that, and therefore didn't have that same results. Being a bowler who swings the ball at pace but is a bit erratic is much less useful in those conditions than someone of moderate pace who doesn't do much with the ball but is able to just keep reproducing the right line and length constantly and let the conditions do the work. Hence Siddle played the last match of the series, did exactly that, and had great success.
AREH
Roar Guru
Last little paragraph sums it up for mine! This assumption that more is more with this stuff, perhaps it isn't always. They have stopped caring about the quality of the product, and only interested in forcing the issue, because of the $$ at stake. They'd want to be careful they don't kill it.
Nudge
Roar Rookie
I had my doubts about Siddle, but after the recent one day series I’d have him as one of the first quicks picked. Was back bowling consistently between 135 and 140, and every ball was just short of a good length just on or outside off stump. Beautiful test match line and length, but a beautiful hitting one day length. He will cause some serious damage on some of those English wickets. I think we should pick 18 for the ashes and include 6 quicks. I’d rate them in this order. Cummins Richardson Siddle Hazlewood Starc Behrendorf
Paul
Guest
If Sri Lanka at the Gabba was so easy, why did Starc struggle to make an impact? By your logic, Starc should never play for Australia again :)
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Haha alright Peter
VivGilchrist
Roar Rookie
Ronan, come on mate... you may as well argue with a wall.
VivGilchrist
Roar Rookie
The BBL feels like that visitor in your home that just doesn’t get it that it’s time to leave. You’ve put the kids to bed, started yawning, hinted that you’ve got to get up early for work the next morning but they still don’t go...
Peter Warrington
Guest
meaning that your boostering of a guy who averages below 40 after 5 tests, has played some naff shots, scratched around like a chook lat time in - he could possibly be dropped. he won't be, but he is no lock at this stage. not for mine.
Peter Warrington
Guest
Siddle had his chance in 2013. He was a seasoned pro leading the attack. He got 17 at 31.5 in 5 tests. Harris bowled on one leg half the time and got 24 from 4 tests at 19.58. That's Siddle's level in England. He averages 30. Hazlewood didn't set the world on fire according to you but struck at 25 balls better, and averaged 6 less.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
It does seem like there's a strong chance Stoinis will play, which would be nonsense.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Ashes is way different to county cricket. Sidds won't be picked for England.
jameswm
Roar Guru
I’m not ruling him out, no way. But he hasn’t done enough to get picked yet
DTM
Guest
I agree but why did they add him (Stoinis) to the squad after the first test? If he plays, they have to drop a batsman.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Think Ronan has this covered with his comments below but I’m going to have my two bob’s worth. Not all Aussie quicks have made an impression in England. Mitch Johnson appeared to struggle with 20 wickets at 33 in 2009. Hazlewood took 16 wickets in the last Ashes series in England at 26 in 2015 and Starc took 11 at 32 in 2013. All hardly setting the world on fire. Terry Alderman took 42 at 21 in 1981 and 41 at 17 in 1989 but his figures at home and elsewhere were nowhere near as good. Some bowlers are better suited to English conditions. Siddle took 20 at 31 way back in 2009 but his form in England county cricket appears to have improved since as Rohan has shown. Why wouldn’t you pick a bloke who knows how to exploit English conditions? Wouldn’t argue that Hazlewood at his best is ahead of Starc and Siddle but he hasn’t been at his best for some time. I’d be happy with a touring squad that included a fast bowling battery of Cummins, Richardson, Hazlewood, Siddle and Starc. I think its great that Starc and Hazlewood now have some pressure on them to perform at test level. They looked to be cruising in the last series against India. They never seemed to be threatening for a bowled or an LBW in the series whereas Richardson uses these as his main forms of dismissal. Maybe his emergence and the presence of Siddle in England will put a rocket under them.
Nudge
Roar Rookie
Not really Jameswm, but they have been playing him as an Allrounder. He’s been part of a 5 man bowling attack and hasn’t had a big workload. To be honest I I think that’s a testament to him as a bowler and bloke that the vics were prepared to carry him through the first half of the shield. A couple of the vic boys said he was bowling frighteningly quick last shield game and it’s only a matter of time before he’s playing test cricket again. He’s a fella that only needs to bowl at 140 to be scary. I think the last 2 to 3 shield games he’ll unleash himself in a last ditch effort for the ashes. I think it’s unlikely but no way I’d rule him out yet.
Peter
Roar Rookie
I'm not convinced that Stoinis will offer much more than Mitch Marsh did for his bowling. Handy overs maybe, but not many wickets. But I'm more than happy to be proven wrong. His success, like another "all rounder" Steve Smith, will depend on his batting.
Rellum
Roar Guru
It would be crazy to give Stoinis a game. I do think they might give Pucovski , but I would not be surprised if they give Stoinis a game because they are obsessed by having an all-rounder. The amount of times they truck out the excuse of not having a bowling option to rest the front line bowlers as a reason why they are not getting wickets and why we lost a Test Match. It that was actually a reason we would see the front line quicks take wickets early but their threat would reduce as the innings went on. Lehmann had the audacity to roll out this as an excuse after Trent Bridge.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
"How did Hazlewood perform in the last England Ashes? Serious question, I don’t recall." I thought his series figures of 16 wickets at 25 very much flattered him but in Hazlewood's defence he went into that Ashes a rookie with just 5 Tests to his name and no experience bowling in England.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
One thing that has definitely not helped Starc and Hazlewood is the way that the ban of Smith and Warner has massively weakened the batting and left the bowlers with lower scores to work with and with less time to rest between innings.