Spin it whichever way you like, perhaps select a team for the third Test that will match it with India, or identify a potential match-winning strategy that could turn the tables in the favour of the Australians. You are simply wasting your time.
The Australian cricket team is out of its depth, up against one of the best teams in the world playing in home conditions and thoroughly enjoying embarrassing a team that did the same to them for an extended period of time.
Effort, tactics and mental fortitude have all be raised as potential reasons as to why the Aussies have been so far off the pace across the opening two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar series. Frankly, those reasonings are worth little and steeped in ignorance.
Some have come from broadcasters in denial and keen to keep people tuned in, fraudulently claiming the approaching iceberg is nothing more than a mirage.
Others emanate from people completely inept when it comes to watching and analysing the game in a measured and unbiased manner, whilst the passion in another group of Australian cricket fans appears to make it impossible for them to acknowledge the bare facts before their eyes and concede that this touring party is not even at the races!
How they all missed or simply chose to ignore the signs is quite astonishing.
The bare boned statistics behind the group of men charged with doing the impossible and triumphing on Indian soil for the first time since 2004, suggested nothing but a likely doom.
Not matter how comprehensively the Australians might bully their way to success on home soil and dispatch developmental teams like West Indies and South Africa, anyone watching cricket beyond a few Big Bash matches or taking a squiz at a home Test every now and then, realised that Pat Cummins’ team were not only injured, ill-prepared and out-gunned man-for-man by the team waiting for them, but also lacking in quality.
The majority of the touring party has cementing a place in the team front of thoughts, so unsure they are of their permanent position. This was personified by the dropping of Travis Head for the first Test and the obvious nervousness of Matt Renshaw, Peter Handscomb (despite a splendid innings in Delhi), Scott Boland and Matthew Kuhnemann; players all hoping that there name will be included on the next official team sheet.
It is a cricketing life Usman Khawaja has lived for a number of years, always playing well and hopeful of opportunity, yet never, ever convinced of his spot in the team until the recent past. David Warner appears to be playing in such a restricted manner thanks to a fear that each and every innings could be his last. Wicket-keeper Alex Carey has contributed much, yet still far from assured of his role beyond the shortest of short terms.
Right now, just Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon and Cummins feel confident of automatic selection for an Australian Test match. Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood would be close to those thoughts in normal conditions, yet the subcontinent throws a selection spanner in the works that reflects the selectors’ lack of confidence in the eleven chosen for any given match.
Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins of Australia chat. (Photo by Quinn Rooney – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
No doubt, as soon as Khawaja suffers a slight loss of form, or Lyon struggles as he did in Nagpur, they too will be under the pump, with Cameron Green likely to experience the same emotions once he is actually fit and able to fulfil some of this prodigious talent that everyone keeps telling me about.
Simply, the Australians lack the cattle to compete against the best in the most challenging of conditions and sections of the media’s efforts to divert attention away from professional accountability, by alluding to some dodgy pitch business is actually harming the chances of Australian success, rather than aiding them.
As Bruce Springsteen penned in a line from his title song for the 2008 film The Wrestler, Have you ever seen a one-armed man punching at nothing but the breeze?
So too are the Aussies punching away with an arsenal not equipped to even make a dent on what is the most impressive of Indian teams.
Pat Cummins with coach Andrew McDonald during the India tour. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
And you know what. That is fine.
The pitches are juiced up superbly for their bowlers, the Australian batting has lacked poise and patience and Cummins looks distraught, without any answers to the examinations that his team keeps failing.
Things will no doubt be different the next time India venture down under and whilst they may win again, at least it will be something of a contest.
At the moment it isn’t and I’m not sure how the Australians even make one of the upcoming Test in Indore.
All day Roseville all day
Roar Guru
"I definitely think there’s scope to have the drop-ins be more varied from wicket to wicket across Australia." And from Day 1 to Day 5
All day Roseville all day
Roar Guru
And drop-ins don't seem to deteriorate enough over 5 days to progressively bring different types of players and skills into a game
Jeff
Roar Rookie
And I get what you're saying about drop-ins sameness Bush. But I think that's a deliberate decision by the State Associations, rather than because they are drop-ins per-se. In-situ wickets could be constructed to produce similar characteristics around the country. Take Adelaide Oval. It used to be known for a bit of spin later, but little help for pace bowlers. And big scores were the order of the day mostly. SACA chose to produce a wicket which was a bit more suited to pace, aided by seam (and D/N has exacerbated swing it seems). But they could have aimed for a wicket which flat-ish for the first half of the match, then maybe took on spin (ala the old AO), though they chose not to. So with drop-ins, I think it's more down to Associations choosing to use the opportunity of a "rebuild" to deliver a certain type of characteristic, which so happens to be similar to what most others are also trying to achieve. I guess if CA had total control, it could dictate that each Association produce a certain type of wicket - but hey, we're a Federation of individual States! :laughing:
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
The trouble is everyone in Australia knew this was going to happen in India except the selectors . They got carried away with a couple of soft wins against West Indies and South Africa and the rest is history. And the same will happen when we tour England . They will pick Warner because there is no one else and the fact they're not prepared to pick any new players is an indictment on the way they operate . Since South Africa 5 years ago sure they have played reasonably well at home but abroad they seem to struggle. Until they make changes at administration, coaching and selection levels nothing will change .
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
That bloke with the 1 arm . I met his cousin with 1 leg . Saw him in a bump kicking competition.
Naushad Ahmed
Guest
I have been reading a barrage of criticism about the Australian cricket team since the past few days, saying that they lack the talent to win a test in India, they are a no match man-to-man etc! While lack of skill on these kind of decks is apparent in a few players, what is striking is the lack of application in them. Test cricket, as the name suggests, is not only a test of one's skills, but it is also a test if his/her perseverance, patience, determination and a love for the game. Knowing Aussie players, I still believe they are capable of putting up a fight.
Tanmoy Kar
Guest
Australia should have played two 3 days tour matches, one before the first Test and another in between 2nd and 3rd Test, maybe against a Board President's Xl and another against Ranji Trophy Champion Saurastra at Rajkot, where they could have faced another left-arm spinner Dharmendra Singh Jadeja.
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
Bancroft has also faced over 1500 deliveries this Shield season, more than 100 deliveries per innings. Way more than anyone else.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
No.
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Only if the BCCI agree to it
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
The English exploited the lights and the moisture to cultivate a hothouse atmosphere that the Kiwis wilted in. Not so much the pitch...
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
A place for Starc?
India ok
Guest
When India' used to get beaten overseas in Australia or England, nobody cared or made excuses for them Why does this Aussie team constantly look for the cheap way out by crying about the pitch etc? Last I checked both teams played on the same surface, if you can't play spin you should go and find something else to do with your life instead of playing cricket. Crybaby softies Good on you India. It's your time. Namaste
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Maybe all tests in Australia will become Day Night Tests as the atmosphere can provide a point of difference from the current Hwy 1 that goes around Australia? Dunno?
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I'm sorry but Hi Bernie
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
F K! That's funny. I could see the mad Eric Idle doing that
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Edit: #1 Morris and Bolo #2 Lyon and Bolo #3 Murphy and Bolo Bolo, the Boa Constrictor, to force the Indians to look to hit our spinners. And as we all know the Indians disdain our spinners so they'll go after them but l actually think our guys, especially Murphy, are good in these conditions. Murphy could outdo Mallet on average basis if his star continues ascend such as it is.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
But Tubby averaged 50 in that 3 year lack of centuries. And being an astute captain he was certainly not carried.
Grem
Roar Rookie
That’s what we thought about him on the football site yesterday. He may need to change his name again soon.
ColinT
Roar Rookie
I haven’t heard anyone criticising Smiths batting record in India.