David Warner and Steve Smith played cameo innings in their comeback match for Australia yesterday as the hosts narrowly defeated New Zealand in a World Cup warm up match in Brisbane.
Meanwhile, Nathan Coulter-Nile staked a strong claim to be in Australia’s starting XI for the World Cup and all-rounder Marcus Stoinis continued his poor recent form in one day cricket.
Rarely has there been such intrigue attached to an unofficial ODI. For more than a year now there has been heated debate about the potential roles Smith and Warner would play at the World Cup after they returned from their 12-month bans for ball tampering.
Some fans have claimed that neither man should come straight back into a side which has won its past eight ODIs on the trot. Others have argued that Warner is a lock in Australia’s best XI but that Smith has plenty to prove.
Yesterday we got a hint at how that star pair might be used during Australia’s World Cup defence with Warner batting at three, where he made 39 from 43 balls, and Smith making 22 from 43 balls at number four.
Both were batting one spot lower than usual in 50-over cricket. That change was made to keep intact Australia’s blossoming opening combination of Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja. That pair have a superb record together in ODIs, with an average opening partnership of 64 from 14 matches.
David Warner and Steve Smith are back in the Australian squad. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Their stand amounted to just four runs yesterday, however, as Khawaja was bowled by impressive Kiwi seamer Matt Henry (3-40). Finch (52) compiled a tidy partnership with Warner, who was dropped early but then played a sequence of crunching strokes.
There were no questions about the form of Warner, who just completed a dominant season in the IPL, making 692 runs at 69 including a remarkable nine scores of 50-plus from his dozen innings.
Smith, however, was far less fluent in the IPL, even if he did still put together a handy haul of 319 runs at 40.
On the eve of his return for Australia, Cricket.com.au posted a video on Twitter of Smith looking decidedly rusty during a national net session, struggling in particular against Mitchell Starc.
The limited footage released of his knock yesterday made it difficult to get a sense of how well he batted, although his dawdling strike rate indicates he was battling for rhythm.
This match, of course, wasn’t just about the returns of Smith and Warner. There is robust competition for places in Australia’s starting XI for their World Cup opener against Afghanistan in just over three weeks from now.
Australia’s pace attack was impressive yesterday, with Pat Cummins (3-36), Jason Behrendorff (3-34) and Coulter-Nile (3-44) all having a significant impact.
Coulter-Nile further underlined his value as a one day cricketer by getting Australia out of difficulty with the bat.
Australia lost 5-42, leaving them needing 52 to win with just three wickets in hand. Coulter-Nile then belted three sixes in a crucial knock of 34 from 36 balls.
The West Australian has long underperformed with the bat considering his generous natural talent, but has played several handy knocks in limited overs internationals of late.
Given Australia do not have a genuine bowling all-rounder in their World Cup squad, like a James Faulkner or Ashton Agar, Coulter-Nile’s batting ability could potentially edge him ahead of Behrendorff, who labours with the blade.
Meanwhile, Stoinis (15) and Shaun Marsh (15) both missed opportunities to try to nail down a middle order spot, with dynamic all-rounder Glenn Maxwell still to come back into the team, likely squeezing out one of that pair.
Australia have two more 50-over matches against this understrength New Zealand side, who competed very strongly yesterday despite missing a heap of first XI players.
The second match is tomorrow and the third on Friday. Then Australia have a warm-up match against England on May 25, and one more against Sri Lanka on May 27 before starting their World Cup defence.
Fox
Roar Guru
Easy dude. Too many personal shots. I...where????
Gurlivleen Grewal
Roar Pro
Easy dude. Too many personal shots. IPL is a high pressure situation on pitches that suit the batters. How a bowler performs in these tough situations or a young guy bats in such situations peaks lot more than meaningless than sub 20 average of Lokie vs Srl, Pak, WI and 50+ average vs top 4 sides in the world. The rankings don’t calculate value of contribution. Kane on the other hand hasn’t played consistently in IPL, he has sacrificed his batting position too. So no unlike your inflated biases, I like to use nuance. IPL just happens to have more proportion of best cricketers in the world playing the competition and so it is not a personal bias but the standard of cricket and professionalism is a notch higher that other leagues and of course a notch lower than true International cricket. You seem to have a personal bias against it though. I referred to the India series and IPL because these are the matches he has played recently and I couldn’t agree with your assertion of him getting better and better with games. He hadn’t performed well against top 4 earlier and couldn’t even now. Anyway he was playing in dysfunctional team in IPL but the India series wasn’t good either.
Fox
Roar Guru
Yeah that pretty much sums Henry up – I think he should have been dropped in favor of another bowler long ago – NZ should have picked Karl Jamison – Over 2 metres tall and twice the bowler he was two years ago and much quicker now as well as last season he did all this work on his pace. He was in the conversation but never got a look in. He should have been given a go in NZ before now IMO and some commentators in NZ thought so too. He is the type of bowler who could get something out of road pitches because of his height – big guy width wise as well and has been in excellent form – apparently he can bat okay as well but does not get much opportunity to show it. Pity.
Fox
Roar Guru
“His bowling vs the Indians and in the IPL didn’t give any inclinations that he is a threat.” Then you have not been watching him in the ODI’s and what are you talking about with regards to his pace? Also the IPL doen’t mean sqwat for the WC 50 over format. Seriously, Kane Williamson has not batted well in the IPL until his last game – so you think he will be a failure at the WC too?…. Like I say, the IPL does not mean sqwat . Indians in particular have an over inflated opinion of form in IPL in relation to other competitions. It is smash for the cash cricket and if you are out of form or have one bad over or a batsmen gets lucky often and as they often do in T20 – it is pretty meaningless as far as I am concerned on form for the longer formats and in different conditions to India. Fergusson is really quick but in ODI’s bowls slower balls to mix it up. But when he digs it in at pace – because he is an into the deck bowler – it gets up quick on batsmen and they miss time it. And his record in ODI’s speaks for itself – only 27 games with 46 wickets at 28.47. For the record – Ferguson is ranked one spot ahead of Starc in ODI rankings and Boult is ranked no2 in the world in ODI’s – Cummins is 6th in ODI’s
JayG
Roar Rookie
Khawaja is not great at #3. He takes too many balls to get started. Not to mention that he cannot start against spin which means that if the openers do well, he is in a spot of bother. Khawaja is opener or bust imo but he is a good opening option since he can bat long if required. Whether he is best opener among the options available is the decision the team management will have to make. Pushing Warner to #3 like they did in the 1st warm-up game might be the best option. I agree with you, though, that it is most likely Marsh who will not be in the starting XI to begin with and only get into the XI on the back on injury/poor form of incumbent batsmen. It is encouraging that Maxi is in good form. He bowled 7 overs in the practice match today. Stoinis' form with both bat and ball is worrying.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Further to this consider Henry's ODI stats in places where pitches don't help the quicks - he averages 47 in Aus/Eng/India with a horrendous economy rate of 6.9 runs per over. Henry is cannon fodder on flat pitches, but excellent on more seam-friendly decks.
Gurlivleen Grewal
Roar Pro
I think all of us missed one thing - is Starc riled up against Smith or Smith is struggling or man is he again reaching his peak? He was starting to bowl pretty well against Srl.
Gurlivleen Grewal
Roar Pro
It is not just IPL form, see his numbers since the last WC across ODIs, across 3 IPLs. He can't bowl tight lines and lengths and with his pace dropping to early 130s there is nothing to threaten. The balls in shorter formats doesn't swing (late start, ideal weather conditions), they barely seam for 5 overs. Nobody denies his prowess until last WC but even his rewards in tests against quality teams have gone south since.
Gurlivleen Grewal
Roar Pro
Agree. But Henry is a better bat and as good a fielder as Southee. And if you see his numbers and more than that how rarely he leads the attack, he should be nowhere near the team. The guy can't bowl tight lines and lengths let alone pieces of brilliance.
Gurlivleen Grewal
Roar Pro
Hate to write a Warnesque comment but he is too soft for a fast bowler? Given he bowls 150+ first ball - he relies too much on his slower balls variety to be an out and out quick ala Bond, Starc, Lee. Yes pace gets hit and he would be taken for 20+ runs but there is a fine balance say what Cummins does in the middle overs - still relying on pace, line, bit of seam. His bowling vs the Indians and in the IPL didn't give any inclinations that he is a threat.
Gurlivleen Grewal
Roar Pro
The only times I have seen Khawaja perform (5 or 6) is when no one expects much of him and/or the team. Say when Finch's form was so bad that the spotlight was firmly on him and with no Waner, Aus tour of UAE, last test of Ashes etc. And it might be coincidence that he didn't get going at home in tests. But as part of very successful units he has also performed vs SA, NZ, little pressure that is, quite young in his career et al. I might be wrong in connecting a dots of coincidences or that he is finally at another level but in crisis the teams tend to revert to what they know and this WC is expected to be a fiercely fought one.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Wouldn’t disagree that he can succeed in other positions, Ronan. But is his value being maximised? Particularly in the first power play, given Khawaja has a mediocre strike rate overall. Better to have Warner batting longer than Khawaja, or Finch at the moment. Maybe better to have Finch at 3. Or is Khawaja really so valuable that he could just as easily be replaced by Marsh in the middle order?
Paul
Roar Guru
He took 3 for 16 a few years ago against the Saffers last year..... oh, we lost that game. He also made 146 off 117 against the Black Caps..... oh, we lost that one as well. Selectors must love him for his all round mediocrity, I guess, if these are his only two bits of "sparkling form".
Spanner
Roar Rookie
When HAS Stoinis been in "sparkling form" with the ball (or bat ) Hugely overrated !
Paul
Roar Guru
I was surprised to read the earlier prediction as I thought Khawaja was a certainty to play in the Cup, JayG. He can open or bat 3, which are effectively 2 specialist roles, whereas Marsh can only bat 3 or lower. I've thought for months that the final spot was going to be a toss up between Smith & Marsh, but with Smith a favourite, not so much for his batting, but his fielding & bowling as well. Stoinis is in less than sparkling form with the ball, so Finch has to get 10 overs from the rest of the team. Maxwell is probably good for 5 at most, Finch can roll his arm over, but so can Smith. I can still only see Marsh getting a game through injury.
JayG
Roar Rookie
There is presently an extra batsman. I assume the lower order is Stoinis, Carey, Cummins, Starc, Dorff/NCN/Jhye/Lyon, Zampa. There are 5 open batting spots and 6 batsmen: Finch, Warner, Usman, Smith, SMarsh, Maxi. Finch and Maxi have to make it into the team. That leaves 3 spots and 4 batsmen: Warner, Khawaja, Smith, SMarsh. I think one of Khawaja or SMarsh will miss out the starting fixtures.
JayG
Roar Rookie
Yeah, Southee the Test bowler is very good. Hence my comment only mentioned ODI and T20 formats. I am not basing this opinion on IPL form but on LOI form for NZ for several matches since the last WC. He will be very effective in England if the ball swings but in all honesty, the white Kookaburra will swing for a max of 5 overs in ODIs in England, if at all. On the flat roads England are likely to serve up, Southee is likely to be belted to all corners of the park.
Fox
Roar Guru
Lockie Fergusson will be very dangerous in England and he can bowl over 154k as well and digs it in. He has been getting better and better in ODI's for NZ as well.
Fox
Roar Guru
Southee was sure not mediocre in the last WC - he is just been out of form in shorter formats but he has bowled very well in test matches. I don't count IPL form - at all - for ODI form and in the swinging conditions of England Southee will be in his element because as Warnie has said - Southee can give you a masterclass in swing bowling if the ball moves in the air and he is one of the best in game at using the crease - not me Warnie!
Republican
Guest
Pathetic effort against a Kiwi side missing 10 of their WC line up. Doesn't augur well for this sides ability to compete v quality opposition........