Australia yesterday hammered Pakistan again thanks to big knocks from Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja. Could the commanding form of Australia’s top order convince the selectors to use David Warner in a middle order role for the World Cup?
Australia have now won five ODIs on the trot, all of them away from home in Asia, thanks to excellent contributions from openers Finch and Khawaja and first drop Shaun Marsh.
If the fine form of that trio extends to the end of this five-match contest in the UAE – Australia’s last series before the World Cup – the selectors will surely be reticent to break up this top three.
Warner appears certain to come straight back into Australia’s starting XI for the World Cup given that in his last 50 ODIs he averaged 56, made 11 tons and had a scorching strike rate of 106. He also made a dominant return to high-level cricket in the IPL on Sunday, hammering 85 from 53 balls.
It has widely been assumed Warner would take back his favoured spot as opener for the World Cup, with the Australian batting line-up shuffled around him. Now, however, it may be a case of trying not to disturb Australia’s top three and instead handing Warner a middle-order role.
Finch, for example, surely would not be moved out of his long-term opening role having only just regained form after a lengthy slump. Only a few weeks ago, after making a duck in the first ODI against India, the Australian captain had averaged a paltry 11 in his previous 22 innings for Australia across all formats. Finch was in comfortably the worst form of his eight-year international career.
Since then, however, the worm has turned for the Victorian, who has piled up 416 runs at 83 in his last six ODIs. That haul includes a rollicking 153* from 143 balls yesterday as Australia chased down a target of 285 with absolute ease.
Pakistan’s total yesterday was perhaps ten to 15 runs below par on a slow Sharjah deck. Even still, Australia turned that chase into a net session as Finch and Khawaja (88 from 109 balls) put on an opening stand of 209.
Finch and Khawaja are developing some fine chemistry as an opening combination. Across Australia’s five-match winning streak their average partnership has been a whopping 111. They have found a fine rhythm with Khawaja being the dominant partner in the power play while Finch gets himself set. Then, once the field has moved back and spin comes into action, it has been Finch who has been the aggressor.
Aaron Finch (Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
It would seem highly unlikely Finch will be shifted considering he has opened in 100 of his 102 ODI innings and likes to take his time to get going. Similarly it would make little sense to move Khawaja down the order given he has an incredible record as an ODI opener (859 runs at 54) compared to an awful record batting elsewhere (219 runs at 24).
Khawaja clearly is at his best when he gets to start his innings against pace bowling with the field up. In ODIs he has looked far less confident starting against spin with the field set deep. Warner, meanwhile, is more capable than Finch or Khawaja of adapting to a role lower in the order.
Sage cricket analyst Kerry O’Keeffe last month backed Warner to adapt to a middle-order ODI role upon his return, as reported by Fox Sports.
“I can see Warner playing in the middle order in the World Cup,” O’Keeffe told foxsports.com.au. “His strike rate in the middle overs is around 100 and that’s a period where we don’t strike well, particularly against the opposition spinners.”
Sunrisers Hyderabad captain David Warner (Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP/Getty Images)
In his 106 ODIs Warner has only once batted outside of the opening position, making 21* from six balls while batting at five against Scotland in the 2015 World Cup. Warner has, however, shown the flexibility to bat in the middle order in T20s. He has performed well in the middle order in the IPL – in the 2014 season he made 427 runs at 53 in games in which he batted between three and five in the line-up. Warner’s also looked at home in the few matches where he’s batted at No. 4 for Australia in international T20s, making 133 runs at 33 with a strike rate of 153.
His fluency against spin and elite running between the wickets are key attributes for a middle-order batsman in ODIs. If Warner were able to slot into Australia’s World Cup side batting at No. 4, it would allow Finch and Khawaja to maintain their blossoming opening partnership and either Shaun Marsh or Steve Smith to bat in their favoured position at No. 3.
That puzzle will become clearer over the final three ODIs in Pakistan and across the remainder of the IPL season, during which Warner and Smith will be auditioning for World Cup roles. In the meantime, Australia’s ODI form line is looking incredibly healthy in comparison to a few weeks ago. The pieces are starting to fall into place for the defending World Cup champions.
Josh H
Roar Rookie
I agree there, the only reason Finch still opens the batting is because he's captain. Really, there are multiple better options than him but at the end of the day he's been given a lot more chances there because he's the skipper of the team.
Peter Warrington
Guest
Not consistently But pretty often. Including last night.
dungerBob
Roar Rookie
Fair enough, but Finch seems to struggle against pace and he still opens the batting so that's a bit hard to reconcile imo. Anyway, what I said was a bit of a throw away line really because in the end all these machinations by we fans mean nothing. It might be a bit of fun but in the end it will be JL and Finch who set the order.
Josh H
Roar Rookie
I never said he's useless. I just said he's less helpful there depending on the context of the game. He's not as strong against spin as he is against pace and gets bogged down against quality slow bowling regularly. Exhibit A: his 50-odd off 80 against India in Australia early this year. He scored runs, which is great - but he scored them very slowly, which ultimately hindered Australia's flow. If it weren't for Handscomb's 50 later on, Australia wouldn't have gotten to the score they did.
Josh H
Roar Rookie
I agree with your sentiment, but it's extremely gutsy to drop Smith to the reserve. He is our best batsman, after all.
Insult_2_Injury
Roar Rookie
Can't win games for your country either apparently!
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
One of the interesting thing about this run of form by Khawaja,Finch and Marsh this calendar year is that their strike rate is about the same ,85. In fact out of the top 10 ODI batsmen by runs scored,only Guptill, Gayle and de Kock are over the 100 SR. Marsh's average is ahead of Kohli, Sharma, Dhawan, de Kock, Guptill and Williamson. That's a healthy place to have it.He should stay.Smith in reserve. And if Khawaja scores 3 runs, he goes to the top of this year's ODI runscorers
Peter Warrington
Guest
First Maxwell, and then you razz my other boyfriend Watto. Put simply, you can't strike at 120 and 156 or whatever it is and achieve what you call "consistency".
Insult_2_Injury
Roar Rookie
I don't hate anyone, especially anyone with talent and opportunity to play at the elite level. I am frustrated with people who underperform perenially, yet get a free pass. For some reason Maxwell is given leeway for lack of consistency that every other player is hammered for. If he was going through a lean patch like a Finch or Khawaja did then that would be one thing, but he - like Watson before him - is the master of survival runs. Ridiculous discussions about how he is used wrong in the line up, wasn't brought in at the right time of an innings, should be allowed to just back himself, yet every other player has not summed up the situation properly, not rotated the strike, not thought of the team! Once the criticism reaches his ears, he then plays in the v for an innings or 2 smashes the ball for an 80 or 100 and then decides he's done enough and then goes back to a ridiculous rampswitchscoop for the next 5 innings after facing a dozen balls and is out with the game still in the balance.
bobbo7
Guest
I've never doubted his ability - great player - but Australia risks a circus if he has another blow up at the WC. He will cope it from the crowd and he only has to do something stupid and like before, the whole team will be dragged into a media mess. And its not like Warner did not have issues in SA before the sandpaper - he was out of control. Given the team is going ok without him, is it really worth the risk? As a batsman you take him but there a lot of baggage and the top 4 are going ok as is.
Paul Brock
Guest
I think there's some over-complication going on with some of the lineups. Australia comfortably won the last world cup with the following lineup: Finch Warner Smith Clarke Watson Maxwell Faulkner Haddin Starc Cummins Hazlewood. Almost all of those guys are still available and at their best they're still amongst the best ODI players in the world. For mine, Khawaja comes in for Clarke (prob bat him at 3 with Smith at 4), Carey in for Haddin, Stoinis in for Watson and then one of Zampa, Lyon, one of the quicks to come in for Faulkner depending on conditions. That's a strong team, with players that have proven they can do it on the big stage. I've been surprised at how many commenters have left Hazlewood out of their ODI sides. I know he's under an injury cloud but he has a proven record in ODI cricket in all conditions.
JamesH
Roar Guru
I would have been happy for that to happen earlier in the summer (I think the team is better balanced if Handscomb keeps) but if Carey plays out this UAE series as keeper then there is no way he's missing out on the Cup. The selectors have clearly decided they want him to keep and he's found a home at 7.
The Bush
Roar Guru
Huh? They had four top class strike bowlers. How is that “sacrificing” the bowling for the batting? And Symonds made the team as a world class batsman, but his bowling was excellent. There was no “sacrificing” of bowling for batting.
ForeardsWinMatches
Guest
Please don’t call me “bro”. The bowlers in the team were McGrath, Lee, Bickel, Hogg, Symonds and Lehman. No Gillespie (injury) and Warne (suspension).
dungerBob
Roar Rookie
Are you absolutely sure he's that useless?
TheCunningLinguistic
Roar Rookie
Here’s someth8ng controversial... How about dropping Stoinis and bringing in Mitch Marsh? He’s an excellent One Day batsman, a better bowler that Stoinis and can accelerate quickly. I wouldn’t look at him for the Ashes, but he’s a better fit than Stoinis in the One Day team.
Magic
Guest
Yes, you are right forwardswinmatches but can you please tell me when you can select a team before posting 359 or after that because if AUS had been all out with in say 240, and McGrath didn't, get the Tendulkar wicket, what would have been happened then? So I mean Maxwell, finch and smith can bowl 10 overs of their quota and if they concede 70 for 2 that's a very good performance by the 5th and 6th bowlers of your team and bro I am asking you with due respect
ForwardsWinMatches
Guest
Magic, I was there. After posting 360 and McGrath dislodging Tendulkar in first over, it was game over. And Symonds was a better bowler than the two you mention.
Magic
Guest
Ok sir so tell me what was the team for 2003 World Cup didn't they relied on Darren lehmann and Andrew Symonds for the 10 overs in the final yes in the final
Josh H
Roar Rookie
Khawaja needs early boundaries to get his innings going, which are a lot easier in the fielding powerplay where the infield is stacked. If he doesn't get boundaries, which is perfectly plausible if you're batting him at 3 with a spread field, most often against spin, he gets bogged down and plays a 60-65 SR 30-odd, which is more often than not less than helpful as it chews up deliveries quicker scorers like Handscomb and Maxwell would score quickly from.