After a difficult summer, a new-look Australian line-up defeated Sri Lanka by more than an innings at the Gabba. Here are my thoughts on the match.
1. While winning is never to be taken for granted, especially for a team who haven’t sung Under the Southern Cross for far too long, you can’t help but feel for the Australian selectors.
Surely, in a private moment, they would admit that they could have done with a comfortable fourth innings victory which would have allowed another innings at the crease for Australia’s beleaguered batsmen.
With an Ashes series coming into view, Marcus Harris and Travis Head would be the only batsmen content with their summers.
Much of that will only be because their colleagues have offered such meagre contributions in comparison.
Usman Khawaja too, will rest easy based on reputation and potential but Joe Burns, Marnus Labuschagne and Kurtis Patterson would be acutely aware that they have two more innings at most to prove they are Test-worthy.
The selectors dearly would have loved another innings to build a case for or against on the big stage.
2. Jhye Richardson’s agent should be hitting the phones of all the division one County teams to get his hands on a Dukes ball under English skies when the season starts in April.
Mitchell Starc has gone from one of the first on the teamsheet in permanent ink to being only pencilled in, to the present day where selectors are reaching for the pencil sharpener to buy themselves a few more seconds to decide whether they can really back him on recent form.
There’s an opportunity for Richardson to play four County games between Australia’s ODI tour of India and their first ODI World Cup match against Afghanistan on June 1.
3. Tim Paine, for all his gentlemanly chirping and guy next door charm, is averaging 22.27 since the start of the Pakistan series (12 innings). He’s had plenty of starts – many times much sooner in the innings than he’d hope, admittedly – and scored 22 or more in half of those outings.
When an inexperienced team is struggling to find their identity, it’s often the captain who needs to drop anchor and show some resilience. Paine needs to move from being the captain who decides who bowls when and who stands to where, to being the leader of the team.
4. Full credit to Geoff Lemon for exposing the extent to which Kurtis Patterson was determined to keep his place in the Test side.
Patterson sought to add gun fielder to his repertoire on Saturday by taking a screamer of a catch to dismiss Dilruwan Perera. However, eagle-eyed Geoff was able to identify that Patterson had actually swapped with a body double – everyone’s favourite Hollywood hero, no less.
5. It should be music to our ears that Justin Langer is messaging a late squad selection for the Ashes.
After the premature choices made for the initial Sri Lanka Test squad, which required Patterson to leapfrog Matt Renshaw and Will Pucovski, the selectors should afford every red ball chance to aspirants.
They should allow them to complete the second half of the Sheffield Shield season with a Dukes ball, to be part of the County Cricket season and to join up with the Australia A team.
With a bit of luck, they may be presented with a multitude of strong cases – the absence of which more recently has resulted in second-guessing, awkward messaging, and dirty laundry being aired too often.
Paul
Roar Guru
I completely understand your view point Daniel. I've spent a fair chunk of this summer overseas and have had to eat a lot of humble pie when watching the cricket with people from other cricketing nations. There are effectively 2 "crimes" that have been committed. The first was the actual ball tampering which I think has been addressed by the bans from Test matches. I think you'd agree that "crime" has been punished enough, based on penalties issued by the ICC for similar offences. The second "crime" is bringing the game into disrepute and an associated "crime" is bringing shame onto the positions of captain & vice-captain of the Australian cricket team. I genuinely think CA does NOT want these guys back, especially Warner, given their outspoken support of the players during the 2017 pay dispute. If this incident had happened during the late 9-s/early 2000's, when Australia was flush with great Test cricketers, there's no way these guys would get another Test for Australia, even if if they scored more than a thousand runs a year for the rest of their Shield careers. The fact is, Australian cricket is going through a rebuilding process, or Test batting stocks are very low and these two still represent the best batsmen in this country. Throw in public expectation they'll come straight back into the Test side and there's no way CA won't cave to public pressure. The other issue is remorse for their actions, which was in part why such lengthy bans were imposed. These guys need to be given a chance to get onto the field and show they are reformed. You know as I do, they'll cop plenty from opposition sides as well as spectators, especially when they go to England. At some point though, they need to be given a chance after doing penance for their crimes and a longer or permanent ban I think is a step too far for these "crimes".
Daniel Kelly
Roar Rookie
I don’t doubt that they will return to the team at some point, but we’ve got two guys here who haven’t played top tier cricket for (what will be) a year and it seems to be a consensus they’ll walk into the team. Now, I am being disingenuous there because I don’t honestly believe they are not part of our best 11 - even with dodgy elbows. My issue is the deep shame they’ve brought on yours and my (not their) team and I am looking for ways to keep them out of the side. And I want them to pay for that in a way which says ‘here’s your mandatory ban for being caught and here’s your unspoken ban to show that even if you were guaranteed not to be caught, we need to know you would still never do that again because we - as a nation and as caretakers of the game - expect more of you than that’. Hell, there’s an unspoken line through Maxwell’s name because of his character/personality and he’s done less to deserve that, so it’s not like it doesn’t happen today. Do we reckon Bancroft, Smith & Warner are sorry they got caught or sorry they did it? Do they realise the years of ‘banter’ and embarrassment they’ve caused us fans each time we interact with other international fans? Maybe I am being unfair given that we haven’t seen these guys prove they’ve changed. Dunno mate, I think I am alone on this one but that’s where I’m at.
Paul
Roar Guru
hi Daniel, I respect your opinion about Smith & Warner but question how long you think both they and Australian cricket should be punished? The purpose of the ban was twofold; to send a message and make sure the guys have been rehabilitated. I'm assuming both these conditions have been met, so the only question is whether they're good enough to make the team and as you've suggested, the cupboard is bare when it comes to Test quality batsmen
Daniel Kelly
Roar Rookie
I'm with you, I think there is so much uncertainty around the rest of the team that Starc will be there for the first test. But he's well and truly dipping in to the credits in the bank he had from past glories. The ODI WC couldn't have come at a better time - hopefully he rediscovers his mojo.
Daniel Kelly
Roar Rookie
Hi Paul, For sure, having Cummins or Lyon go down would be a hell of a downside. However, we are pretty well stocked in that department (Richardson, Pattinson, Tremain etc) and we have 6 months until the next Test. The cupboard is bare when it comes to batsmen. My opinion will be unpopular, but I don't think Smith and Warner should walk back in to the team based on character grounds. I know they will and I am just here, shouting at the clouds, on my own with that opinion, but a man has to have principles. Anyway, Smith and Warner have both had their injury scares and we need to know if we've got anything in that cupboard, in case Davie does a New Idea interview the week before the Ashes. Agree with the rest.
Daniel Buchanan
Roar Rookie
Great time to be a young shield cricketer. The Ashes squad, barring another cricket earthquake, will be built around Warner, Smith, Paine, Cummins, Hazelwood, and Lyon. Starc is almost certain of a position you'd have to think, despite current slump. The remaining 4 spots should go to batsmen who show skill against swing and seam bowling, a concern being they don't get the opportunity to face much of this, of any great quality. Totally agree that the county system may be the best yardstick for judgment before the first test.
Paul
Roar Guru
Daniel, you suggested in point 1 selectors would have liked to have seen another innings for Patterson at co. Given the injuries to their fast bowlers in the First Test, what would selectors have gained from that? I also think the timing of the selection is not as important as getting the squad right and Langer was only stating the bleeding obvious. Both Smith & Warner have to come into the squad but have injuries, so selectors need to see how they'll pull up. Starc's obviously not at his best and we still don't know which are our best batting options. You're right, hopefully a lot of guys will get a chance to play County or even Laegue cricket over there, but mostly I hope the selectors don't have any more brain fades and pick a competitive team based on form and ability in English conditions.