India and Australia were involved in a wonderful series that lived upto all the hype that it generated before the series started. Over the last 20 years, games between these teams have been highly competitive. In India as well as in Australia. The competitive zeal between the teams were also second to none. In the latest series, India emerged victorious. Former Australian players like Warne & Gilchrist have lambasted the Australian team.
Warne has questioned the captaincy and the field placing when Nathan Lyon was bowling. He has questioned the late entry of short pitched bowling. He has called for heads to roll. Warne was particularly severe on Tim Paine the Australian captain.
Shane Warne’s comments
“I think there’ll be a huge fallout from this,” Warne said in commentary for Fox Cricket. “There’s not too many times that you lose to the second or third (choice) side.
“That’s not taking anything away from those Indian guys that played but their first selection side, there’s probably only two or three players in that side who would play.
“Australia being beaten 2-1 by India’s B-side (is disappointing).
“Their tactics will come into question, and they have to. Bowlers will come into question, people’s spot in the team will come into question. It has to.
Warne was certainly correct. This Indian team cannot be termed as even B team. It was D or E team. Except for Pujara & Rahane, no one else started the tour. It had a combined bowling experience of 5-6 tests. There were 2 bowlers who made their debut and 2 others who had played only 2 tests. Among the batsmen, Gill was in his 3rd test and Mayank Agarwal hasn’t played that many. Marnus Labuschagne, the Australia top order batsman has almost the same wickets as the Indian bowlers.
Inexperience of the Indian team
With such an inexperienced bowling attack and with none of them capable of bowling at high pace throughout, Australia must have shut out India after the end of their first innings. They must have scored in excess of 500. However, it wasn’t to be. They were bowled out for less than 400 and their 2nd innings was even worse. They were shot out for less than 300. This certainly is not the performance of a team who were until recently ranked as number one in the world. If not for Smith, Australia would have lost 3 tests. These are really serious signs for Australia. Their batting is completely depended on Smith. Marnus is emerging but he is not a match winner like Smith. If not for Smith’s runs, India could have won at Sydney. Australia would have easily lost the 2018 Ashes.
Australia’s inability
The fact that Australia failed twice to bowl India out on a day 5 pitch and that too at home will rankle them. Questions will rightly be asked about the logic of using the same 4 bowlers in all the tests. They certainly looked tired at the end of the Sydney test. I for one thought that Cummins will bowl atleast 10 overs with the 2nd new ball at Brisbane but he was restricted to only 6 when the match and the series was on the line. Yes he was tired but it was just a matter of 4 more overs. He was the only one who created chances. Starc was expensive and Hazlewood cannot be depended on to defend 40 runs.
Gilchrist’s comments
Gilchrist has singled out the 3 biggest failures for Australia. Paine, Lyon & Starc. He has rightly pointed out that Paine hasn’t gone to Starc often. It was always Cummins and Hazlewood with Starc as the last option. If Paine did not have that much confidence on Starc, he must have replaced Starc with some other bowler. This was the mistake that Dhoni did all those years ago when India were defeated 4-0 in England and Australia. Dhoni never had the audacity or the courage to drop the non-performing seniors in 2011 and as a result, India were soundly thrashed. Paine did the same in this series.
Paine tactical blunder
Warne had this to say
“I’m just staggered that with Pujara especially there is no bat pad on the off side. I can’t believe it. I just cannot believe it. Especially after everything in the last series and in this series and how he’s bowled to Pujara. I don’t know what conversations they’ve had, but with no bat pad to start with. I’m in shock. I’ve been disappointed with some of the tactics this series from the Australians, but this one, it just doesn’t make any sense.
Paine did not trust Green either who played as an all-rounder. He wasn’t given a long spell which could have given the frontline bowlers must needed rest so that they could have come back and bowled at their best. He must have allowed Marnus Labuschagne a decent enough bowl. With his leg spinners, he may have picked up some wickets. The tactical side of Paine needs refining. Paine was good in England. He dropped Starc for all but 1 test and relied on bowlers who would deliver. Pattinson, Siddle and Hazlewood were all rotated that brought in fresh legs in every game.
Paine is under tremendous pressure
Paine is 36 years old and already before the series there were murmurs about his longevity. A section wanted Smith to takeover from Paine but Paine survived. Especially, after the success in England and the clean sweep of New Zealand and Pakistan in 2018, it is only logical for Paine to continue. However, this Indian series has certainly reduced his shelf life to not more than a few months. If Australia fails to win against a much weaker South African side, Paine will be gone. With Australia returning to the country where the famous sandpapergate happened, mentally it will be very tough though South African aren’t that strong. South Africa does have a bowling attack that can match Australia but their batting is exceptionally weak which gives Australia a clear edge.
Other articles about Australian cricket can be read here and here.