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Australia coach Justin Langer must shelve his “they are all good blokes” tag and give Aaron Finch, Glenn Maxwell, D’D’Arcy Short, Ashton Turner, Peter Handscomb and Nathan Coulter-Nile a right royal gobful for almost blowing the first T20 against India at Visakhapatnam overnight.
It took sensible batting from Pat Cummins and Jhye Richardson to score 14 off the last over to record a three-wicket victory off the last ball of the game.
When Umesh Yadav started the final over neither Cummins nor Richardson had faced a ball, so the 14 was a huge ask.
But they both finished with seven runs off three to snatch the win from the jaws of defeat.
They shouldn’t have had to bat when Australia needed 38 off 40 deliveries with eight wickets in hand and the Maxwell-Short stand in full swing.
But Australia lost 5-24 through sheer stupidity.
Maxwell, who had batted superbly, went one big shot too many to be caught at deep mid off for 56 – Australia 3-89.
(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Short has wonderful batting talents, but no cricket nous. Like ball sense, you are born with it, or never own it.
Short was involved in two run outs – Marcus Stoinis in the first over, and himself, both from being a ball-watcher and not responding to the call – Australia 4-101.
Turner played a nothing shot trying to paddle the ball around the corner and departed bowled for an inglorious duck that will haunt him for a long time – Australia 5-102.
Handscomb received a very cuttable delivery, his favourite shot, but he decided to hook which wasn’t on to pay the ultimate penalty – Australia 6-113.
The very next ball Nathan Coulter-Nile played forward to make a yorker from Jasprit Bumrah, and lost his castle – Australia 7-113.
So chasing just 127 for victory suddenly became mountainous until Cummins and Richardson successfully brought sanity, and 14 runs, to the table.
I’ve left Finch until last because he had a captain’s game he will want to forget in a hurry.
Did he not fathom Pat Cummins was on the field?
Not only has Cummins been the best-performed Australia quick over the last 12 months, but the Allan Border Medal recipient as the best cricketer in the country.
And with Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood out of action injured, who was the obvious choice to bowl the first delivery?
Pat Cummins.
Not on your life. It was Jason Behrendorff and Jhye Richardson to open, followed by Nathan Coulter-Nile and leggie Adam Zampa.
Patrick Cummins has had a great year – someone tell Finchy. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)
Cummins was the fifth bowler called, but didn’t bowl until the eighth over when India was galloping at 1-59.
Behrendorff had 1-16 off three, Richardson 0-22 off two, Coulter-Nile 0-11 off one and Zampa 0-10 off one.
Even then Finch took Cummins off with 0-6 off after one over, brought him back in the 11th with 0-11, then the 17th at 1-16 and the 19th to finish with 1-19 off four.
That was an insult to the best cricketer in the country, which he proved with the bat under extreme pressure to win the game.
What did the captain offer with his bat?
Out first ball, trapped in front.
Again.