Injuries, form slumps and a South African capitulation have left Australia uncertain about its strongest starting XI ahead of the World Cup in India.
Australia, having lost three consecutive matches to the Proteas in South Africa, quickly turns its attention towards a three-match ODI series against India, which kicks off in Mohali on Friday evening.
The Australian squad has been bolstered by the return of captain Pat Cummins, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell, but Travis Head’s wrist injury has created a vacancy at the top of the order.
Meanwhile, the likes of Tanveer Sangha, Nathan Ellis and Marnus Labuschagne will be desperate to push their case for an eleventh-hour call-up, with Australia permitted to change its World Cup squad until September 28.
The first ODI between India and Australia gets underway at Mohali’s Inderjit Singh Bindra Stadium on Friday at 6pm AEST.
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AUSTRALIA’S MAJOR WORLD CUP HEAD-ACHE
Travis Head’s untimely hand fracture has forced Australia to rethink its World Cup plans two weeks ofrom the marquee tournament.
The 29-year-old’s importance to the Australian ODI side can’t be overstated. He has been the team’s most prolific run-scorer in the 50-over format since March last year, accumulating 791 runs at 60.84 with a strike rate of 119.84.
Head and David Warner average 90.90 when opening together in ODIs, with four century stands in 11 knocks. In comparison, Warner and former white-ball captain Aaron Finch averaged 47.94 as an opening pair, while Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden averaged 48.39.
The South Australian has flown home and been ruled out of the bilateral series against India, with national coach Andrew McDonald suggesting he will miss the first half of the World Cup.
The solution seems obvious, with Mitchell Marsh expected to open the batting in Head’s absence and Steve Smith occupying the crucial No. 3 position.
However, Australia is tossing up whether to gamble on keeping Head in the World Cup squad, hoping he’ll be available for the back end of the tournament.
Aussies facing selection Head-ache | 01:11
“The time frame is still a little bit loose at the moment, but the good news is he doesn‘t require surgery as it sits at the moment,” Australian coach Andrew McDonald told reporters on Sunday.
“There’ll be an extended period of time out and we’ve just got to weigh up whether that time falls potentially with an option to carry him through the front half of the World Cup … so that’s a decision we’ll need to make in terms of the final 15.”
If Head was ruled out of the World Cup, Marnus Labuschagne looms as his most likely replacement, but Victoria’s Matt Short might get an opportunity to push his case against India after being parachuted into the ODI squad this week.
Can Smith & Marnus both be picked? | 01:20
STOINIS’ FOUR-YEAR DROUGHT DRAGS ON
Marcus Stoinis’ new-ball experiment proved a success against the Proteas, with the all-rounder providing some handy spells during the Powerplay in South Africa.
The 34-year-old has opened the bowling in seven international matches this year, taking 12 wickets at 23.83 with his swing and added bounce causing issues for the South Africans.
Opening the bowling with Stoinis gives Australia’s specialist quicks additional overs at the death, but Josh Hazlewood suggested that he would be relieved of his new-ball duties when Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc return to the starting XI.
“I expect with Mitch and Pat back, we’ll probably share the first ten overs between us more often than not,” Hazlewood told reporters last week.
Stoinis’ bowling feats have been admirable, but his batting form remains a glaring problem.
Since March 2019, he has averaged 15.14 across 29 ODI innings without mustering a half-century. The West Australian hasn’t passed 25 in any of his 11 most recent ODI knocks.
Stoinis has batted everywhere from No. 3 to No. 8 over the past four years; whether Australia’s needed him to build an innings in the middle overs or smack quick runs at the death, he hasn’t been up to the task.
National selectors have indicated they’re eager to pack the team with all-rounders, which allows for versatility in the starting XI, but Stoinis will be desperate to rediscover some form against India this week.
“The conditions (in India) are going to vary from place to place, so you’ll need to have a variety of options available with your bowling attack,” former Australian batter Mark Waugh told Fox Cricket.
“Because you’ve got so many all-rounders there, you can mix and match depending on the opposition and conditions.”
‘NOT IDEAL’: AUSTRALIA’S OVERFLOWING CASUALTY WARD
Australia has one of the oldest squads in the World Cup, and nearly half of the touring party is nursing injuries ahead of the marquee tournament.
Mitchell Starc missed the white-ball tour of South Africa due to a groin complaint, while captain Pat Cummins sustained a wrist injury late in the Ashes campaign.
Glenn Maxwell, who was ruled out of the T20 series against South Africa series at the eleventh hour due to an ankle complaint, is still feeling the effects of the gruesome leg injury he sustained last summer. The Victorian hasn’t played a 50-over match since March.
“It’s not ideal,” former Australian batter Mark Waugh told Fox Cricket.
“We don’t quite know where he’s at with his ankle. He hasn’t played a lot of cricket, so these three games (against India) are going to be vital for him.”
Meanwhile, Steve Smith recently confessed he needed another cortisone injection on his wrist before he could resume training last week.
“Hopefully, I don’t need another one and it just settles it down,” Smith told The Age.
“Fingers crossed that it just heals up and it’s fine, but feeling good at the moment.”
Sean Abbott, another member of Australia’s provisional World Cup squad, split the webbing in his hand while fielding in Johannesburg on Sunday, while substitute quick Nathan Ellis sustained a minor adductor strain during the same match.
Uncapped paceman Spencer Johnson, touring India as Starc’s like-for-like replacement, didn’t feature in the ODIs against the Proteas due to a hamstring complaint, while Ashton Agar was unavailable for a couple of matches in South Africa due to general soreness.
However, young all-rounder Cameron Green has thankfully recovered from the concussion scare in Bloemfontein.
“There’s five games before the start of the World Cup, which is going to be pretty vital to a number of our players getting back into the rhythm of playing and getting match fitness levels up to whether they need to be,” Waugh continued.
“This tournament’s going to be tough. They’re going to be tough conditions, and it’s a long tournament.
“Fitness is going to be key throughout.”
Head’s WC dreams over after injury? | 01:13
DEATH BOWLING DEMONS LINGER
Death bowling will be crucial for Australia in next month’s World Cup, and there were worrying signs during the recent ODI series against South Africa.
The Proteas feasted on Australia’s wayward bowling in the final three ODIs, each of which was won by triple-figure margins. During the final ten overs, South Africa scored 96 runs in Potchefstroom, 113 in Johannesburg and 173 at Centurion, the latter being an ODI record.
Josh Hazlewood conceded his worst ODI bowling figures in Potchefstroom before leaking a career-worst 79 runs at Centurion. In the same match, Marcus Stoinis’ final two overs went for 45 runs, with Heinrich Klaasen clearing the boundary rope four times.
Meanwhile, Adam Zampa equalled the all-time record for worst bowling figures in ODI history, finishing the Centurion ODI with 0-113 — he supposedly received a congratulatory WhatsApp message from Mick Lewis a few days later.
However, Australia will welcome the impending return of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, who will no doubt be tasked with bowling at the death against India this week.
“It’s been a role I’ve played for 12 years,” Starc told Fox Cricket.
“I don’t think my role’s changed much throughout my white-ball career.
“Predominantly throughout my career, I’ve had the new ball and then had to finish an innings as well.
“I’m ready to play whatever role they decide on. Death bowling is not a new one for me.”
Nathan Ellis, renowned for being one of cricket’s most reliable death bowlers, missed selection for Australia’s World Cup squad, with national selectors opting instead for the versatile Sean Abbott.
“He’s a wicket-taker, quite an impressive bowler,” Waugh said of Abbott.
“He’s very experienced, and knows what to do in certain situations through the game. He can bowl in the middle, he can bowl at the death.
“If you need a job to be done, then you know what you’re going to get with Sean Abbott. He always delivers 100 per cent when he gets the chance.”
Starc’s all-time strike rate to continue | 01:38
AUSSIES STILL FINE-TUNING APPROACH TO RUN CHASES
After losing three consecutive matches against the Proteas, Australia will be looking to tinker with their batting tempo during run chases in India this week.
With the exception of Marnus Labuschagne, nobody in Australia’s middle order capitalised on fast starts in South Africa last week, suffering collapses of 8-60, 5-67 and 8-69 in three losses against the Proteas. Despite scoring at 6.49 runs per over across the three defeats, Australia was rolled within 35 overs on each occasion.
The absence of Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell was sorely felt.
Speaking to reporters in Johannesburg on Sunday, Australian coach Andrew McDonald confessed the team needed to find a more measured approach to batting beyond the Powerplay.
Aussies suffer ANOTHER batting collapse | 01:50
“You always have to strike that balance over the 50 overs … we have to temper that, assess the conditions through those middle overs. We can‘t afford to expose our middle-order hitters,” McDonald said.
“We can’t afford to expose our lower-order hitters at six and seven where we do have some power down there, too early.
“That happened a bit too often in this series. It‘s something we need to tighten up on.
“We’ve got some personnel who will come back and assist in that space, but you can’t win too many games of cricket if you’re getting exposed four, five down before the halfway mark of the innings.”
Stand-in captain Mitchell Marsh, who averaged 13.00 while batting in the middle order against South Africa, continued: “I wouldn’t say we are worried about (the collapses). You look at the history of one-day cricket, you need partnerships to set totals or to chase them.
“That’s a simple, key marker for us to improve and it comes down to all of our batters getting it done.”
