From tactics, to selections, to tour preparation, Australia has been brutally torched for its limp showing in India, who retained the Border-Gavaksar Trophy in less than six full days of cricket.
Australia’s average batting total from the first two Tests was less than 170, including second innings scores of 91 and 113.
The second Test saw Australia go from a strong position in Delhi at the start of day three, to losing nine wickets in a session, and then the entire match before tea.
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Former Australia captain Michael Clarke, who made 150 in his Test debut in Bangalore, said he didn’t want to kick the players while they were down.
But given the size of Australia’s failure, it’s proving hard for pundits and past players to bite their tongues.
Speaking specifically about day three in Delhi, Clarke was bemused by Australia’s reliance on the sweep shot, which was to blame for five wickets in the collapse.
“We haven’t adapted to conditions,” Clarke said on Sky Sports Radio’s BSB.
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“I’m not saying don’t sweep in India, I’m saying the opposite. I’m saying you sweep at the right time, at the right stage of your innings, on the right pitch and, generally, with the spin.
“It’s very hard to sweep against the spin when the ball is not bouncing. So, basics of batting and facing spin bowling in those conditions we are getting so wrong.”
But Australia’s insistence on playing the sweep shot is merely the tip of the iceberg.
By virtue of the batting horror show, Australia had to defend just 115 runs to win the Test, but employed regulation field settings instead of crouching more catchers around the bat.
The tactics left Clarke stunned.
“I’ve got to say, I’m not sure what happened with our tactics either. We had 100 runs on the board, at one stage Pat Cummins had four blokes on the boundary,” he said.
“You’re either bowling India out for under 100, or you’re losing. If you lose in 20 overs or you lose in two days, it’s irrelevant.
“So fielders get up, (put a) bat-pad off side, bat-pad leg side, slip. If the ball turns, if the ball bounces, if the ball shoots along the ground, if you make an error in judgment, you are getting out. That’s what Australia had to do.
“We had mid-off back, mid-on back, deep point, deep square-leg — what was I watching?”
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What’s clear is that Australia had a predetermined plan about how it was going to approach the Indian challenge and it didn’t pan out.
Allan Border said on Fox Cricket that Australia looked “panicky” when things started to go pear-shaped, and that India has a “psychological” edge over nation, who it hasn’t lost a series to in four-consecutive meetings.
Whether a dedicated tour match in India before the series started would’ve changed things is unclear, but what’s certain is that it couldn’t have made it any worse.
Instead, Australia held a two-day spin camp in North Sydney, and employed Indian net bowlers — including one with a similar action to Ravichandran Ashwin — to try and get up to speed.
Australia didn’t, and Clarke, among others, now want to know who can be held accountable.
“The captain and coach will say CA wanted them to play in the BBL, so we didn’t have time to play a tour game. So what do they say there?” Clarke said.
Ian Healy said on SENQ Breakfast on Monday morning that Australia should learn a lesson from their tour preparation.
“Never again tell me we’re not playing a tour match to begin, at least two, there’s no shortcuts to Test match success,” Healy said.
He added that a tour match would have given Australia a clearer picture on selections, and time to adjust to new ways of thinking, such as playing three spinners and adapting to the surface.
Clarke said that without the tour match, he wasn’t “surprised” by Australia’s capitulation.
“We didn’t have a tour game. Major, major, major mistake. At least one tour game over there to get used to the conditions,” Clarke said.
He added: “Our selections for the first Test — major, major, major mistake.”
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“I go back to Steve Smith not being picked at the T20 World Cup. Whoever is selecting the team has to be accountable for that mistake, No.1. No.2; not picking Travis Head in the first Test of the series, they are two massive mistakes.
“One cost us a chance, I reckon, of winning the T20 World Cup, and this 100 per cent cost us the first Test if not the second Test.”
Meanwhile, former all-rounder Brendon Julian said Australia was “reckless” and the way many batters were getting out on Sunday was “ridiculous”.
“They can’t be getting out like that,” Julian said on SEN. “The way they got out and the way they applied themselves is what people don’t like.”
He added that the player-led culture in the Australian dressing room, however, will make it hard for coach Andrew McDonald to give the feedback that’s required.
“This side is a different side to when Justin Langer was coaching it. Langer would’ve told them what they should be doing,” Julian said.
“There’s no way that (McDonald) would say something during the match.
“There’s no way he would do that. He’s not going to interrupt in the middle of a situation and change the game plan.
“It’s very hard for a guy like McDonald as coach who hasn’t played 100 Test matches to turn around and say to Steve Smith and tell him that he’s playing the wrong way and they should change their whole game plan and play a certain way.”
