A couple of weeks ago Australia was talking about cementing a legacy. They can still do it, but it has become much more difficult after being demolished in Perth. For now, those lofty ambitions may come down to what happens over the next nine days in Adelaide.
Australia were 1-0 down in the 2018-19 series against India, but the defeat was closer (31 runs in Adelaide) and expectations were lower as the team was without David Warner and Steven Smith. They drew it in Perth and it was not until the fourth match in Melbourne with the series tied 1-1 that India pulled away with Jasprit Bumrah winning 6 for 33. Few reminders are necessary that it was India who came back from 1-0 down. down in 2020-21.
It’s still too early to suggest Australia can’t fight back (both India and Pakistan have come back from 1-0 down to win the series this year), but rare past home calamities are beginning to be mentioned. One is the 2016-17 series against South Africa, when defeat in the second Test in Hobart led to massive changes in the team. Before that, in the 2010-11 Ashes they trailed 0-1 after the second Test in Adelaide, briefly picked themselves up from the mat in Perth and then collapsed in Melbourne and Sydney. Criticism, dismissals and recriminations followed.
The team that collapsed in Hobart didn’t have the position of this current team, while in 2010-11 there were bowling concerns. It’s also worth remembering that Australia have suffered back-to-back defeats at home after West Indies’ Shamar Joseph-inspired victory at the Gabba earlier in the year. The last time Australia lost three consecutive Tests at home was in 1988.
All this means that Australia has not faced a home test of such importance in a long time. Win it and the bad week in Perth will seem a little less severe (and set up a potentially classic series), but if you lose you are 2-0 down with three to play, and the prospect of a third straight home defeat to India looms. big. That could have major ramifications.
They will have to do so against an India strengthened by the return of captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. Washington Sundar did his job in Perth, but it’s hard to believe R Ashwin or Ravindra Jadeja wouldn’t add more firepower to the attack. Australia have never lost a pink-ball Test in Adelaide but were also unbeaten at Optus Stadium until this series. The number 36 is likely to be mentioned a lot in the coming days, but it is unlikely to have left the visitors with many scars, especially as they came back to win that series.
Amid Australia’s post-Perth concerns, they were compounded by the loss of Josh Hazlewood at least to Adelaide due to a side strain and doubts over the fitness of Mitchell Marsh, who was admittedly unprepared ahead of the first proof. After such carefully selected preparation, losing two players after a test would raise some questions. The depth of both teams could be tested in the next phase of the series with just three days between the next two games.
In Adelaide, the city of churches, a few prayers may be said that it won’t be Bumrah who has the ball in his hands when night falls.
It’s no secret that this is a mature Australian team. Nathan McSweeney is the only player under 30, effectively replacing Cameron Green as the player in that age group, although selectors have insisted that is not a factor in selection. Beau Webster has fully earned his call-up but has only just turned 31, while Scott Boland, who is likely to be Hazlewood’s replacement, is 35. It doesn’t have to be a problem when things are going well, but it can quickly become a problem. a focal point. when problems start to arise. For those who are closer to the end of a race than the beginning, time can catch up with them quickly and quite unexpectedly.
Another performance like the one in Perth would sharpen the attention. Smith has now gone longer than ever without a Test century, reaching 23 innings compared to the 22 it took him from debut to first hundred. He looked promising with his 17 in the second innings in Perth (Mohammed Siraj’s ball that removed him was a beauty), but the fact that it was worthy of comment highlights the problem. Marnus Labuschagne has come under increased scrutiny, but of the opening batsmen, Alex Carey is now the only one averaging over 30 in Test
cricket this year.
In his ESPNcricinfo column, Ian Chappell said: “If Australia lose the second Test, batting will come under the microscope. That’s when the dearth of potential batting talent in Australia will cause some selection headaches.”
As expected,
cricket Australia’s head of high performance Ben Oliver made the case for depth in the domestic game last week. To give some encouragement to the emerging players, Sam Konstas’ free-flowing century in Canberra was timely even if the circumstances were a bit strange. This follows the impressive 73 not out he scored in the second innings against India A at the MCG.
While Australia’s hopes were dashed in Perth, the analysis turned many commentators into body language experts, while a press conference at Hazlewood when the match had effectively ended was scrutinized for what it might mean about divisions in the locker room. Whether there’s any truth to it or not, that kind of thing will only get louder if there’s no quick response on the field.
This week the danger of the day-night element will also be added. Timing can be everything in these matches: face a new ball under the lights and things can move quickly. That goes for both teams, but Australia doesn’t have much room left for bad sessions, let alone days. In Adelaide, the city of churches, a few prayers may be said that it won’t be Bumrah who has the ball in his hands when night falls.
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