This is Australia’s best Test team since the 2006-07 changing of the guard.
We spend a lot of time analysing the weaknesses of opponents and the advantages of playing at home but it’s time to give this current squad its due – they are the most dominant Test team on the planet and better than any XI that Australia have dished up since Shane Warner, Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer retired at the SCG at the start of 2007.
There is no weak link in this side, anywhere, particularly now that David Warner has ended his run of outs.
From the openers to the middle order, the long sought-after genuine all-rounder, wicketkeeper, spinner and pace attack, it’s class all round.
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There are two gaps in the resume before this side can rank alongside the very best Australian squads in history – they have to conquer India in February-March and win the World Test Championship final in June.
(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Even when injuries strike, they have the luxury of bringing in the likes of Scott Boland, who would be an automatic starter in most Test XIs on the planet, while the likes of Michael Neser, Peter Handscomb, Mitchell Swepson, Ashton Agar, Matt Renshaw, Marcus Harris are champing at the bit for another crack at Test cricket.
And then there’s the Wild Thing up the sleeve in Lance Morris. Did you see the vision of him bowling to Victorian left-hander Ashley Chandresinghe?
Whoa, mumma. That’s some serious heat pinging into the nets.
Ultra speed doesn’t always translate into success but Morris is well worth a try in next week’s SCG Test and it’s encouraging to hear coach Andrew McDonald indicate that he’d like to give him a run to while Mitchell Starc rehabilitates his finger injury even though the conservative option would be to roll with Josh Hazlewood and Boland alongside Pat Cummins to form the pace attack.
In the era under the captaincy of Tim Paine and Cummins since Steve Smith and Warner returned in 2019 from their ball-tampering bans, Australia have won 18, lost just five and drawn eight of their 31 Tests.
It’s a much better record than at any stretch during the latter stages of Ricky Ponting’s time as skipper or when Michael Clarke and Smith were handed the captaincy.
(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
The majority of this current line-up are either smack bang in the meaty peak of their careers like Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head, Cummins or experienced campaigners who are still world-class like Hazlewood, Starc, Nathan Lyon, Smith and Usman Khawaja.
An unfortunate aspect of Test cricket as we approach 2023 is that there are few teams worldwide who can challenge Australia, particularly on home soil.
Realistically, now that South Africa have fallen well back in the pack due to their dearth of batters capable of building a decent innings let alone a good one, the only team that would start anywhere near an even-money bet to win a series in Australia is India.
The Bazball-revived England side could do so in a couple of years but they have lost a combined 13 of their past 15 matches Down Under.
India are up to second in the World Test Championship standings and will likely be Australia’s opponents at The Oval in June but they have not been as impressive in the past year or so compared to the team which mastered Australia 2-1 in 2020-21 even when Virat Kohli was absent for the final two Tests.
They will of course be a more formidable on their own pitches for the four-Test series which starts in February and now that Australia have wrapped up the series over the Proteas, they’d be mad not to try a second spinner at the SCG in the third match next week.
Sydney used to be a spinner’s haven but has favoured batters first, seamers second and spinners third over the past decade or more.
But this summer it has been dry and turning – if you believe Nic Maddinson’s assessment after the BBL match on Wednesday night, it’s going to be tough going for the batters.
Travis Head of Australia is congratulated by teammates after running out Khaya Zondo. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Whether it’s Agar, Swepson or Victorian bolter Todd Murphy, the selectors should be giving their preferred second tweaker a trundle to give them a warm-up before the trip to India.
This team is so close to being one of the best of all time. Nothing can be left to chance with two major hurdles on the horizon.
And then after the India tour and World Test Championship final there’s the small matter of the Ashes.
They have not won a series in England since 2001 but even accounting for the Bazball renaissance, they should be favourites to not only retain the urn but win next year’s contest and doing that would put them up there with the truly great Australian teams.
Mike
Guest
Yes, we have major weaknesses heading to England. Our openers (Warner, Harris and Bancroft) were absolutely appalling last time. They cost us the series, although we did draw thanks to the brilliant Smith. We are making a terrible tactical error if we think Warner can suddenly play the swinging ball (at 37 years old) against a pumped up, attacking England at home just because he's done his bully home boy routine of getting a 200 against a struggling, poorly captained SA team. Warner won't succeed in England. Games aren't won on paper.
Mike
Guest
It seems like a great Aust team but let's not forget that we lost two home series in a row to India with Hazelwood, Starc, Cummins and Lyon as our bowling attack! We'd never lost once to India at home before, let alone two series in a row! Our attack was impotent against Pujara, meanwhile the Indian fast bowlers totally out performed our much lauded three. In Australia we can be a bit arrogant in praising our own as "the world's best" - we laugh at Americans for calling winners of their domestic comps "world champions" yet are prone to the same silly arrogance. Let's pull our heads in and keep the team focused on India, the Ashes and the Test final. If they lose those, which is very possible, then this conversation is redundant!
The Knightwatchmen who say Nii
Roar Rookie
I would say Michael Clarke's side from the start of the home 2013-14 Ashes until the end of the 2015 world cup would be the best since Warne and Ooh Aah retired. They messed up the 2015 Ashes series for three reasons: 1. They started to believe their own invincibility hype ignorantly being purported by their fans leading into that series, 2. Haddin's dropped catch of Joe Root on the first morning, the only time Root has played a match defining inning in 30 Ashes tests, and 3. Clarke batted when winning the toss in 3rd test at Edgbaston. Trent Bridge was inconsequential as Clarke would have batted anyway had he won the toss.
Simoc
Roar Rookie
John Inverarity, G Chappell and D Lillee were holidaying in India when they came across an impromtu game of cricket on the side of the road. The fast bowlers runup was hampered by a cow lying in the path. So apparently he just jumped it as part of the runup. Johns wife had the boys join in the game and mentioned to the players that Chappell was the famous Australian cricketer. She said they looked at her like she was the stupidest person on earth.
Nobody likes a smarta*s
Roar Rookie
The addition of the Green machine is the most important factor explaining our team’s recent improvement. He has taken some pressure off the quick bowlers, permitting them to extend themselves more in shorter spells; improved behind-the-wicket catching a lot, and introduced calmness and consistency into the top 6 batting.
Diamond Jackie
Roar Rookie
To be fair , nick would have known that and have been looking at the middle strip.
Mo
Guest
India have a pretty good pace attack these days
Mo
Guest
Nathan Lyon is the key just like Warnie was before. Starc hazelwood and Cummins all legit greats of Oz now. But if one’s out we can replace them with someone extremely good like boland or very good like neser or jye. Do we have another spinner in Lyons class though? Need the foil for that pace attack. Hope renshaw can step up and a guy like joe ingles and l Morris. Pity maxwell is out. Still amazes me how a player with that much talent hasn’t been able to build a test career. But maybe the same sort of reason that hard nut langer made it where more talented bevan couldn’t. Good to see that starc and green are both properly tough guys. Not meaning to be disrespectful coz all topline players tough compared to a bum like me but green and starc good stuff.
Blue
Guest
That's all well and good until players of sub-continental backgrounds form a large part of the ENG, NZ teams as well. Their love of the game could smother it.... CA needs to find a way to bring in SE Asian players, if we can connect with this large community the future will be fine.
Blue
Guest
Not sure id necessarily even include India. The BCCI rivals FIFA for arrogance and venality...
Vamsi K
Roar Rookie
I agree that on spin bowling front India has an edge, but I don't think Indian batting has an edge on spinning tracks, not this batting line up anyway. Rohit, Rahul, Gill and Kohli are struggling for runs. It was middle and lower middle order that has been saving us. Now with Rishab Pant most likely out of contention for Aus tour we lost another reliable scorer down the order.
Vamsi K
Roar Rookie
This might be the perfect time to beat India at home. Our batting is in shambles with Top order not able to score any runs. Our fast bowling depth is completely mismanaged with many injuries. From looking at reserves of almost up to 5 promising pacers apart from team regulars we are looking at finding someone. Lucky that Umesh is firing. And to make matters worse Indians forgot how to play spin. From days when a VVS or Dravid or Sachin or Sehwag hitting legendery Warne or Murali on turning tracks we have come to a situation where even part timers are also taking wickets if there is some assistance to spin. So at the present moment this Aussie side is far better in quality than the Indian side. I would say England will be the real test this time around, given the form and the way the English are playing their cricket.
Full Credit to the Boys
Roar Rookie
Hi Simoc. Amazing that those remote people were listening to the cricket. Wonderful story. Wiluna is a fascinating place. The last refuge of the Lizard Eaters who were almost the last Aboriginals to come in from the desert after living as outcasts for marrying out of caste. They died within months of arriving.
Full Credit to the Boys
Roar Rookie
Hi Geoff Yes, its great. I'll share a story. I've been to India a lot and on one of my trips I told a group of people in Udaipur that I was Ricky Ponting's father. I said it as a joke and with a wink. It was at a tourist spot which attracted village people on annual holidays. Three hours later, after about a thousand selfies, I managed to escape. I think I'll be featured in blown up photos on mantlepieces all over India, surrounded by Hindu Gods. When I realized my mistake it was too late. There's some things Indians can't even conceive of lying/kidding about. Cricket, and Ricky Ponting, are two of them.
Barb Dwyer
Roar Rookie
Cummins has a superb record; and he is a much stronger leader.
The Late News
Roar Rookie
Thanks for taking the time to reply Paul. You have been very busy with articles lately! Thanks. I enjoy your work.
Simoc
Roar Rookie
This Australian team is very good because after many years we finally appear to have a middle order in the batting. But the real test is India at home, and they are not playing well (Sharma, Kohli) and England in England. The England side look to be stronger on current form and with the imminent return of Archer. Our Australia 2nd team does not appear to be strong at all so we may need to make the most of the current crop.
Simoc
Roar Rookie
That was an incredible crowd at the Pakistan vs India WC T20 game and they appeared to be enjoying it. Funnily enough when I was out the back of Wiluna (outback WA), I came across a bunch of Aboriginals in the middle of nowhere and they were sitting around listening to the test cricket (somehow they had radio reception). They were all Adam Gilchrist fans at the time. So our guys have great support across the nation. But it seems every Indian follows their cricket team and they have over a billion people.
Simoc
Roar Rookie
Pride doesn't feed the wife and kids. Athletes careers are brief and they're soon forgotten. T20 is the game crowds go to around the World. Most players like fame and fortune and T20 provides that.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
The worst of society sit heavy with me. And I've had some of the worst society can give you.