After comfortable victories against Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Australia’s World Cup campaign is looking healthier than it did a week ago.
However, despite encouraging performances from both openers, Aaron Finch’s side still needs to lift a gear to present a challenge to tournament heavyweights India and England.
With David Warner and Steven Smith back in the mix, Australia’s one day batting line-up is looking healthy overall, but there is room for improvement. Despite posting a century against Pakistan, Warner’s strike rate is worrying inconsistent for a player not renowned as a nudger.
While he has justified Justin Langer’s choice to open with him and Finch by contributing to a run of strong partnerships, Warner has not managed an innings with a strike rate above 100 in Australia’s five World Cup matches.
In contrast, his partner Finch has posted strike rates of 134, 60, 102, 97 and 115 over the same period. With Warner, Finch and Smith all in strong form, Australia’s best chance to take the fight to India and England is to fight fire with fire at the top of the order, setting up a strong base for Smith and the middle order to build on.
Steve Smith is playing a massive role at the Cricket World Cup. (AAP Image/Dan Peled)
Both India and England feature opening pairs who can take the game away in the first 10 to 15 overs of an innings, a quality normally associated with Warner and Finch. Unfortunately, Warner’s consistent run of good scores has not been accompanied by his usual clubbing of opposition bowlers into submission.
Although he may still regaining his rhythm at international level after returning from a 12-month ban, Australia need Warner to kick things up a notch for the remainder of the tournament to pose a serious threaten at the pointy end of the competition.
The Aussie openers at their brutal best can be a terrifying sight, and Langer and Finch will be hoping Warner can find another gear in the coming games.
Elsewhere in Australia’s batting line-up, it will be interesting to see which way the selectors go if Marcus Stoinis is unable to recover from injury.
With a tight deadline set for him to return soon or be replaced by Mitchell Marsh in the squad, the selectors will need to decide which Marsh will bring more value to the middle order should Stoinis be ruled out of the World Cup.
Despite Shaun Marsh’s strong one day form over the last 18 months, the selectors would be hesitant to go without a seam bowling all-rounder for the remainder of the tournament. While Stoinis’ absence has been covered to date by an attack of four quicks and the part-time spin of Maxwell and Finch, it appears unlikely they would persevere with this in coming matches.
If Stoinis is unable to recover in time, it would seem Mitchell Marsh will return from the wilderness yet again, hoping to prove he is indeed the messiah and not just a very naughty boy.
With the Cricket Australia media machine already telling us about how the younger Marsh is in peak physical condition and has learnt a lot in his time outside the national setup, it certainly appears a recall is inevitable.
Mitch Marsh looks for a single during an ODI match against England in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)
Finally, Australia needs a spinner. It is baffling that Nathan Lyon is yet to make an appearance in the tournament to date, despite his strong performances in England over the years.
While he is a relative newcomer to the one day set-up, Lyon’s control and nagging lines would add more balance to an Australian attack that has been too pace heavy of late.
With Kane Richardson putting in a stronger performance against Sri Lanka to give the Aussies a third seam option alongside Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, the upcoming match against Bangladesh appears the perfect time to bring Lyon into the side before facing off against England in just over a week’s time.
After losing to tournament favourite India, Australia has made promising progress with wins against Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
If Warner can return to his blitzing best, the middle order can provide more support to Smith and the bowling attack can show a bit more variety, Australia could yet be a contender at the 2019 World Cup.
Robin parmar
Guest
I will think Australia's best xi is for me Warner Finch S marsh Smith Hanscomb vc Maxwell short Coulter Cummins Starc Hazlewood J rechardson M marsh Lyon Khwaza Short for spiner all rounder and 4 perfect faster because not perfect spinner has Australia for odu, so short and maxi good chois
ChrisH
Roar Rookie
Australia will make the finals. They then just need to hope they don't draw India or England in the semis. Of course, the ICC will be hoping England and India don't play each other in the semis. Shame the ICC hasn't made it a double chance finals for 1st and 2nd. The knockout final four has taken some of the intensity out of the round robin part of the tournament. Teams are happy enough to finish anywhere in the four.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
That's also why I think they need to make the call to ditch Stoinis and bring in Mitch Marsh. While he hasn't played a lot of international cricket of late, he's been preparing hard for a tour, which probably puts him in a decent place to be playing well, and if he is able to come in with any sort of decent form he's much more the sort of player that we are missing, someone who can come in late in the innings and start hitting sixes. So I'd definitely be replacing Shaun Marsh with his brother at this point.
Tigerbill44
Roar Guru
I am a bit surprised that Lyon hasn't come to the equation. My theory at the start of the WC was-and it is still my theory- that the team that will take most wickets during the middle overs (10-40) will win the WC; and Aus hasn't done badly on this account. Initially I expected Zampa to be the key man for Australia but he has disappointed. The good thing is that both Staarc and Cummins are bowling well in the middle overs and at least one of them is picking up wickets. In this scenario, Lyon can be a big asset. He may not be a great wicket taker; but his accurate bowling should put pressure on the opposition middle order. Lyon's presence should take some pressure off Maxwell as a bowler. Maxi did well against SL, but won't fancy him as a bowler against a team like England. Mitch Marsh can act as a part time medium pacer.
Rob
Guest
Considering Warner appears to be a completely different player and making a conscious effort to keep the ball on the ground, does anyone get the feeling Dave Warner has a tap fetish? Is his right arm strapped so tight in order to stop it straightening ?
Jeff
Roar Rookie
I'd be calling M Marsh as a batting all rounder. His potential for explosiveness with the bat exceeds his potential for being damaging with the ball.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
I can't split it re batting between S Marsh and Khawaja. I don't think they can both play though if we want to optimise our line-up from the squad we have. Though I think S Marsh offers more in the field.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Agreed that Turner is a medium to long term prospect for this team. Looking ahead, post this WC it's time to blood some new talent. Post WC19, in next 12-18 months , we have: -3x home v NZ, Jan 20 -3x away v IND (in mid Jan 20 mind you), -3x away v SAF, Feb 20 -3x home v ZIM, Jun 20 -3x home IND, Nov 20 -3x home NZ, Jan 21 Not sure if ZIM games count towards ICC ODI League points.
Rob
Guest
LOL. Story of my life. I was always telling the boys in the team I was saving my form for the right moment.
Daniel Gray
Roar Guru
All fair points, Chris. I'd like to see a call made on Stoinis before Bangladesh game. Definitely makes more sense for MMarsh to come into the side against them rather than England if he's going to be recalled.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
You could call call Stoinis a batting allrounder, and Mitch Marsh a bowling allrounder, but Mitch actually has a better batting record in ODI's than Stoinis too. Stoinis had a great start to ODI's in 2017, but since then has averaged less than 30 with the bat, so his average, that was at one point over 50, continues to drop with each match he plays. Also, Mitch is much more capable of coming in late in an innings and start hitting sixes. Stoinis has only ever shown the ability to really start hitting after he's had a good amount of time to get himself in. If they are going to make the call they need to do it though. No use keeping him out for Bangladesh then deciding he's needed for the England game. If you are bringing Mitch in, give him at least one "easier" game to get into things before hitting the three tougher games to finish.
Daniel Gray
Roar Guru
I agree, Chris. It's an interesting quandary though, as Khawaja has put in his strongest ODI performances as an opener, and the selectors are sticking with the Finch-Warner partnership there. SMarsh has never filled me with confidence in any form of the game, but he does seem a more consistent performers at 3 or 4 than Khawaja in ODI cricket. I guess the old-school terminology would call Maxwell a batting all-rounder and MMarsh a bowling all-rounder. Probably more balanced than Maxwell and Stoinis, both of whom are probably more batting all-rounders. I'm keen to see if the selectors make further changes to the side against Bangladesh.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
But I don't think it's a case of tapering. Tapering for elite athletes is about the fact that hard training needed to get the body in optimal condition also leaves it weaker and fatigued while in that process. So doing the hard training up to a certain point before the competition and lightening up as you get closer so you have the benefit of the hard training without the draining effect allows you to be in peak physical condition for the competition. That doesn't apply with skills like this. You don't taper skill and form. You just do whatever you can to maximise it at any time, if form drops you try and work out how to get it back. No such thing as saving it. Saving it is just physical. So for fast bowlers there could be overwork and you try to back it off a bit and "save it" for when you need it.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I can see the limitations with Khawaja, but I don't get why anyone thinks S.Marsh is any better an option. They need to get Mitch Marsh back in. If he's got any sort of form he is a lot better at coming in late in the innings and smashing a few quick runs than any of the other alternatives, and his bowling is stronger than Stoinis too.
The Bush
Roar Guru
i didn’t say anything. i asked a question. Asking a question is still saying something, you're just saying it as a question. The entire premise of the question makes it seem like form can be turned on and off, which again, it can't be. it was probing on whether we were trying to improve as the tournament goes on, saving in this sense being like tapering I wouldn't have thought cricket, at least not during a tournament, required tapering - if such a thing was needed, it should have occurred before the tournament. Regardless, I think what you were trying to ask was whether or not we're building up to something better (i.e. building/finding form). 1. do you think form is permanent? No. 2. do you think if we play the perfect game in game 6 we can also get to that level in the finals? Yes, in the sense that there's no reason why they can't play as well in the next game as they did in the one before it. No in the sense that nothing is perfect. 3. for the quicks, do you think rhythm comes into it? Yes, in the sense that you cannot turn form on and off, you need to find it and then make the most of it while you have it, which is why I believe we should be settling on a line up now, not chopping and changing. 4. do you think some of the batsmen are trialling different things, knowing it all starts again in the finals? No. 5. do you think our vbest chance is with: Warner Finch Khawaja Smith S MArsh Maxwell M Marsh Stoinis Short Wade Carey? No, but then I'm not sure what the point of this question is, half these guys are in Australia and not in the squad.
Peter Warrington
Guest
i didn't say anything. i asked a question. it was probing on whether we were trying to improve as the tournament goes on, saving in this sense being like tapering i'll ask you: 1. do you think form is permanent? 2. do you think if we play the perfect game in game 6 we can also get to that level in the finals? 3. for the quicks, do you think rhythm comes into it? 4. do you think some of the batsmen are trialling different things, knowing it all starts again in the finals? 5. do you think our vbest chance is with: Warner Finch Khawaja Smith S MArsh Maxwell M Marsh Stoinis Short Wade Carey?
The Bush
Roar Guru
That’s not what you’ve said, you’ve made it seem like they can just turn form on and off which is patently incorrect. Even using your Shield analogy there’s still the issue of our chopping changing of the bowling line up. Hard to improve your game when you’re to playing.
Peter Warrington
Guest
I guess then you've never used a Shield game to warm up and get rhythm for a test?
AREH
Roar Guru
I'd say they're firmly in the contenders bracket already, and having an XI firing on all fronts is critical on the day. Once we reach the semi-finals, anything is possible with all teams an almost equal chance given you really just need to play 200 overs of your best cricket.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
The top four has already been determined. Only one win by the bottom 6 against the top four. Kane Richardson has been terrible yet he has 5 wickets thats the story of Australias performances so far, the conditions have suited them. What would Josh hazelwood have done in these conditions, what would have most other good sheffield quicks done in these conditions. They can continue to throw pies and beat the bottom 6, but that didnt work against India. The issue is then what happens by the end of this very extended wold cup group stage. Australias fast bowling has to improve, that can win them this world cup, its unlikely their batting will do it. I think Langer and his anchor man philosophy will leave them short og any decent total. If the semi final and final wickets dont suit the fast bowlers they could go for a huge total if they continue bowling like this.