Justin Langer and Tim Paine’s public support for the under-fire Joe Burns poured cold water on the idea Will Pucovski might walk into the Australian Test team this summer.
While the Victorian may still play – a choice likely determined by a tour match bat-off for Australia A – the coach’s sentiment on backing incumbent players last week was clear.
“We should never underestimate the job the guys have done to get us to where we are – and that philosophy and attitude has been a really strong part of the success of Australian cricket for a long time,” Langer said.
“We went through a period when there were lots of ins and outs, and in my view we should back the guys in there. That can change, but it’s a pretty strong philosophy to stick to.”
Langer’s logic is seemingly sound.
Stability and continuity are indeed important factors in building successful sides.
Will Pucovski (Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images)
Last summer the only change made in a five-Test clean-sweep of Pakistan and New Zealand was a forced one when the injured Josh Hazlewood made way for James Pattinson in Melbourne.
The top six remained the same.
However, the notion of incumbency carries less weight in a year of almost no red-ball cricket.
The last time Australian players pulled on the whites was in this year’s Sydney Test amidst the backdrop of bushfires on the east coast.
If that feels like a long time ago, it’s because it was.
By the time Australia walks out for the national anthem against India on 17 December it will be almost 12 months between matches, a break unheard of in the modern game.
It’s a layoff that does not render incumbency redundant but does mean the degree to which it applies differs from a normal summer.
Had COVID-19 not arrived, Australia would have completed a midyear tour of Bangladesh that would give the selectors a greater body of work from which to make a call.
Without that tour they’ve been forced to look elsewhere, namely the Sheffield Shield, for answers.
And unlike Travis Head and Matthew Wade, who responded to the advances of another young gun in Cameron Green with strong Shield performances in the last month, Burns is yet to do so, scoring just 57 runs in five innings as Pucovski plundered 495 runs in three.
In Burns’s defence, he has been somewhat undervalued publicly amid the barnstorming success of Pucovski.
It was he and David Warner that averaged 78 for the first wicket in their eight innings together throughout last summer.
I was saying Boo-urns. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
But a pass mark last summer should not be enough for fringe players to hold their spot if others are breaking down the door.
Burns failed to convert any of his starts into centuries last summer, something Langer himself was dropped for in 2001 – after scores of 19, 58, 28, 35 and 21 in India that year, the now coach was dropped for the first four Tests of the proceeding Ashes tour.
It’s clear that for the first time in years the selectors may have to make a harsh call on the make-up of the Test top six.
That is, dropping a player who does not deserve to be dropped.
Casting our minds back to recent axings in the Australian Test batting order, each were for logical and in some cases obvious reasons.
The most recent was Marcus Harris, dropped for Burns at the start of last summer after a poor 2019 Ashes campaign.
During the Ashes itself Cameron Bancroft and Usman Khawaja were dropped for similarly meagre returns, while Travis Head was swapped for the final Test to accommodate all-rounder Mitch Marsh.
Prior to that, Kurtis Patterson made way to accommodate the returning Warner and Steve Smith.
Each were relatively straightforward calls, but this summer could call for harsher decisions.
While tough on the player involved, such a situation is usually an indication of wider team strength.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Don't get me started on how good hodge was. We at least had better batting depth back then but still
Pierro
Roar Rookie
One problem is there been little test action to go on Due to covid and t20 commercial attraction
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Spruce no problem debuting a player in ashes at home but playing on an english pitch with the shear noise and pressure , totally different line and length and swing is no fun for a debutant . That said I am often dismayed how selectors can't see just how well some players go on english soil with line and length in any form of game before selected . Carey was a miss there last ashes as he seemed to excell on english pitches and we paid for it by not selecting him as a batsman there when we were very thin on options and guys like warner, bancroft just couldn't handle the opening . I'm not sure pucovscki was ready a year ago but he is now and even if he bats well on aussie pitch against poms the formbook can go out the window on english pitches . Guys like chris rogers excelled there and smith has become even more suited to conditions there , as did labuschagne and arguably carey. Next year on home soil I'd agree we can debut anyone against England at the gabba or Perth and it won't be much concern
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Very curious with green , wade chanced some punchy innings in England but there were also some very poor innings with his technique being exposed by archer and broad . Think the cracks are covered up back in australia . I’m very keen to see green have a go but can’t mount any case against head and wade being replaced on home soil yet except to say wades probably not going to be part of the long term plan for australia and if India do expose him or potentially head over two tests then Green would deserve a start
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Spot on there james
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Spot on chris
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Let us pray warner never bats again on english soil he just can’t get the line and length there let alone archer and broad had him on toast . It’s like night and day as he is another cup of tea on Australian soil and may even be primed to exact revenge in sth Africa . He wasnt great against a weak nz bowling team tho earlier in year . As chris points out we need to find better openers though full stop before we can replace him for foreign tours and perhaps pucovski will have fresher eyes and timing than an ageing warner come next foreign english ashes let alone the subcontinent your 2022.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
I’ve never disagreed that our opening stocks are poor so agree with you chris on lack of depth as it’s fairly obvious . I think I even agreed during the ashes we had little choice, many of us got angry that bancroft was dropped a little too early and khawaja was not pushed up to open given they were staying in longer than warner st times . We didn’t have many options during the ashes but even then the last test at oval they could have dropped warner down order and given khawaja and labuschagne a push up the order, as they had effectively been opening anyway at times and did better than warner , it may have made a big difference as warner just could not adapt to line and length, let alone archer and broads bowling with new ball, they made him a batting bunny and cheapest wicket in the side . There weren’t many options on quick turn around there with tests and squad but critical mistakes were made for sure by selectors (and paine ) . Warner is ridiculously suited to our Aussie pitches so there’s no way I’d suggest his place is in jeopardy this series but I will watch with interest against india as he wasn’t great against a weakened nz bowling line up for the most part . Archer was also terrorizing him a few weeks ago in ipl which is of course not as related but still of some concern . I’m not sure india will pose as much risk at adelaide or gabba but mcg will be an interesting watch . One other thing warner and smith are going to be highly motivated to go back and conquer sth Africa
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Totally agree here chris . I dont think we see anything differently on the opening prospects . I'm just glad we have someone with huge potential for a start . Enduring am ashes abroad without decent opening stands is not something Australia needs to endure again . It's been a huge struggle to find someone besides warner since chris rogers
Pierro
Roar Rookie
I actually would agree with all you've said chris and you make a good case to start an australian abroad on tour. I would say though you also provide extra evidence to say we need to get great openers in to our side again which makes for an even more compelling argument to start pucovski this series . Im well aware they we were struggling for better options than warner but je had ten chances in the ashes and disgraced us , granted so did the other opening bats . That's why debuting a kid like pucovski won't hurt and he deserves it on form . Moreover burns who I've watched alot last summer in shield is just edging balls and off the boil for some time now . I wanted him to do well but we certainly have a problem with all preexisiting openers in England let alone against a poor nz bowling line up last summer . I was watching warner back in ipl a few weeks back to archer had his number again . Im sure he will have some good innings this summer but I'm excited to see if pucovski can get the birth and make a big for the position long term
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Fair enough. Scores obviously do matter, but I’m more of the school willing to overlook short term scores over a smallish sample size like 3 matches in favour of longer term indicators if someone looks ok and is not getting out to bad shots. But sounds like Burns is in a rough form patch from your description.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Pretty much the same thing isn't it? Struggling to get runs and finding ways to get out is pretty much the definition of poor form. I know there are times when players talk about "hitting them well in the nets" and feeling good, but just getting out for low scores, and sure there's a good score around the corner. But it's not like he's out there batting well and dominating and then just getting an unplayable delivery, or cracking one off the middle and someone takes a freak catch. He's had two top edges from poor, wafty pull shots, and the rest he's feeling for the ball outside off stump, away from his body and getting beaten on either edge of the bat.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Not Test form - Wade did not look good at all last year. But granted, Burns hasn’t scored any runs - does anyone know whether he’s in really poor form or just having a bad trot?
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
Only if "always" doesn't mean "always"...
Cricket fan
Roar Rookie
Interesting, definitely gotta follow that
Targa
Roar Rookie
Well today the West Indies had the 1st day's play vs NZ A in scenic Queenstown. NZ A won the toss and reached 308/3 before declaring. The Windies are 17/1. Will Young scored 27, youngster Rachin Ravindra 112, Henry Nicholls 76, Devon Conway 46 not out, and Joe Carter 41 not out.
Jero
Roar Rookie
Self-evidently, the context is a domestic Test series.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
I'll take your word for it. Only been to Tassie once and didn't eat any cherries.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I dunno how you all assess what's going on with players. Shield isn't throwing up much in the way of surprises. I'll wait to see the first few overs in a test. Until then I'll just say stupid stuff.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
He knows what he is talking about. He, himself, had to score 3 centuries per shield game and at least one of them had to be in a session. He also had to average 82.5 and score 116 centuries per season for 5 seasons, in a row, to get selected as reserve orange boy.