Australia picked a talent-laden but unbalanced batting unit for this World Cup. Now opener David Warner’s new and oddly cautious batting style is leaving them even more lopsided.
When a squad brimming with slow-scoring batsmen was announced, I argued it was too conservative and that the Aussies would miss the variety and dynamism offered by Peter Handscomb or Ashton Turner.
Many voiced similar concerns despite the fact that, at that time, it seemed Warner at least would add an attacking edge to a top five which was otherwise one-paced.
That has not been the case, due to Warner’s fresh, defensive approach.
The best ODI teams have a healthy equilibrium between attack and caution with the blade. They have batsmen tasked with building an innings, with providing stability. Because these players protect their wicket, it gives licence for a second group to take on the bowlers, disrupt opposition tactics, and score at a swift rate that makes up for the dot balls chewed up by the first group.
Warner was meant to be in that second group, along with Glenn Maxwell, leaving Aaron Finch, Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja and Marcus Stoinis as the batsmen who would take their time at the crease.
Now that Warner has migrated to that larger group, it has left Maxwell marooned, the sole batsmen in the top six who is trying to bully bowlers.
Australia’s Glenn Maxwell. (Mark Nolan/Getty Images)
It means the first five batsmen are all seeking to play themselves in, to construct an innings. A check of the calendar confirms this is 2019 not 1989, when structuring your batting unit in such a conservative manner actually made sense.
The bottom line is that, because of the squad they have chosen, Warner cannot be allowed to become a safety-first batsman. He has to be one of the designated destroyers.
This is a batsman who, in his previous 50 ODIs before being banned for 12 months, had scored at a blazing strike rate of 106.
Who just finished smashing 692 runs at 69 in the Indian Premier League opposed to many of the best bowlers in this World Cup. In the IPL Warner scored at 8.6 runs per over.
Since he returned for Australia, he has played eight one-dayers (including warm-ups) in which he has scored at a crawling rate of just 4.3 runs per over. That is about 50 per cent slower than Australia need him.
Because if Warner continues to plod along like this it will force the likes of Khawaja, Smith and Finch to betray their natural games. Those batsmen will have to play with significantly more aggression in order to make up for Warner’s slow scoring.
Khawaja should never have been moved from the opening position. The left hander has made 1019 runs at 53 at the top of the order, compared to 289 runs at 24 batting elsewhere.
Usman Khawaja (Photo by Darrian Traynor – CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images)
Warner should have been placed at three with the instruction to bat with the dynamism that has made him a superstar across all three formats.
Australia have enough steady batsmen that they can afford to give free rein to Warner and Maxwell. Instead, we have a bizarre situation where Warner has been reborn as an old-school, nudge and nurdle opener.
In crawling to 56 from 84 balls against India on the weekend, he all but assured his team would not chase down the target of 353. Wicketkeeper Alex Carey (55* from 35 balls) and Maxwell (28 from 14) tried to defy logic but the task was too great.
It must be noted that Carey is making tremendous progress as a late-order striker. In his 13 matches batting at six, seven or eight he has made 358 runs at 40 with a good strike rate of 102.
An opener in domestic one-day cricket, Carey was handed an unfamiliar role and has steadily grown into it. He is playing his part nicely.
What Australia need now is for their veteran opener to do the same.
Ditch the caution David, Australia need whirlwind Warner.
dat
Roar Rookie
It probably also doesn't help the fact both his odi and test returns are going to be in the Wc and Ashes in front of English crowds,ideally it would have been better to gradually ease him into the setup in some non consequential bilateral series against Sri lanka or Bangladesh so as to regain his confidence, if it's really just a mental block. But, today's match could be different,rain is expected to play a part in the outcomes of the next 3 matches, though 'not expected' to wash away the matches in it's entirety.If aust bat second and it becomes close to a t20 affair,he could end up player a blinder which gets him going for the rest of the tournament and not continue to strike at 71 ,as in the first 3 games.Maybe shifting him down the order could also help, in not having to compete Khawaja for the openers slot.
Waggers
Roar Rookie
I agree with this comment. The focus seems to be on Warner and his struggle to score freely on Sunday. India have a highly skilled bowling attack, they know Warner well and where he scores most of his runs. They did their homework, had a plan and executed that plan. Australia's bowlers could learn from this themselves. Starc takes wickets but is erratic and struggles to bowl a consistent line. The average score against India in ODI's this year is 259. Admittedly the pitches and ground sizes were different to The Oval but Australia's score of 316 is not the issue here. The issue is the score of 352 against. Unless our bowlers can tighten up and be more consistent (like Cummins), the likes of India and England will continue to post scores that give our batsmen way too much work to do.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
YESS!! The momentum of public opinion grows behind me, backed by some Roar experts. Khawaja should be opening, he performs best there and Australia opens well with his steady hand and Finch’s aggro. Australia best served with Warner following – at #3/4. He is good enough to adapt and make the most of the conditions as well as take apart the lesser bowlers in the middle. Australia didn’t need to muck around with an already winning combination. The rest of the order come in according to the nature of the game. Need a steady influence, send in Smith; need some aggression and risk, send in Max. AND we could do with some improvement in the bowling department…
Paul
Roar Guru
this is an excellent comparison Dat and there's every chance you've got it right. Warner is the only one who has not told his story as well, so that must be an added burden on a guy perhaps still struggling to manage the SA fallout. If you're right, I just hope he works through it asap, not so much for his cricket's sake but for his own mental wellbeing. I've never been much of a fan of Dave Warner the bloke, but I hate seeing anyone being harmed by mental "demons".
Gee
Roar Rookie
Good point about ODI cricket being only about World Cups. Give me Steve Waugh or Smith over supposed super stars like Gayle or De Villiers, when it matters.
Rellum
Roar Guru
:) Have you not seen these selectors do there thing. Anything is possible.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
If there's an injury and Hazlewood still doesn't get a gig the rivers will run red!
Rellum
Roar Guru
Pattinson and Nesser will be over there as well so who knows.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Yeah Haz looked great in the videos from the "A" training camp, really steaming in. Who knows he may still play in this World Cup as the Aussie quicks are mostly very injury prone.
Rellum
Roar Guru
Josh is bowling in Brissy right now.
Geralt
Guest
Booooooo what? U one of those types that boos people at games? Immature child
Nick Croker
Roar Guru
Righto - that wasn't my intention. I just had an opinion and thought I could back it up with evidence. Much the way you wrote your article in the first instance.
Tom
Guest
Stoinis averages 20 from his last 20 odi’s. He couldnt bully a child. He’s awful.
dat
Roar Rookie
I feel, Warner is just going through the same experience as Stokes, when he came back into the setup, after the bristol incident. Before his comeback stokes was a naturally attacking batsman and was in top form with the bat,but since his comeback, it took him till probably the Pakistan odi series to reestablish himself in that role. He was playing within himself and looked like he knew he can’t mess up again and so tried to be conservative in his approach with the bat for a while,something which was noted on cricinfo a few time as well. Warner meanwhile probably has it worse, due to the fact that everyone including the other banned players were shifting all the blame of the sandpaper gate on to him, Oz fans more so than others not wanting him back in the setup again,and having to figure things out while making a comeback in a WC as an opener when his replacement had been in great form. In the IPL at least the crowds in Hyderabad always cheered for him as he has almost become an icon like ABD is to Bangalore,so was able to free himself from external pressure or added responsibility and bat like the old Warner.
Peter Warrington
Guest
dunno. their onslaught had him removed from the attack.
Simoc
Guest
This is a rubbish article. The Indian openers dictated the way to bat. Warner needed to stay there initially as he did while Finch attacked but failed to up the ante when he needed to. He wasn't able to because the bowling was to good for him. The Australian bowling wasn't good in comparison. Warner can win us the World ODI Cup. No-one else (Smith will accumulate) will do the goods if we make the big time. The writer is a cricket plodder.
Peter Warrington
Guest
he was sublime in Bangladesh in 17.
VivGilchrist
Roar Rookie
If Warner scores at faster than 66sr we probably win. Bowlers are always the whipping boys.
emu1nz
Roar Rookie
You're very harsh. Warner lost $5 million of income during his ban. His wife was slut shamed by an entire crowd and with the explicit encouragement of the South African cricket authorities. The Warners then lost a baby because Candace miscarried. And you still don't think he's suffered enough?
Harry Selassie
Roar Rookie
I thought Warner batted as if he was in a Test match not chasing in an ODI .