Australia’s winning start to the international home summer was not without a wake-up call on the weekend as Zimbabwe made the hosts pay for an ill-disciplined batting display.
The season continues on Tuesday with the start of another three-match ODI series — against New Zealand in Cairns — that offers Australia the chance to atone for a shock three-wicket loss in Townsville.
Meanwhile, all eyes will be on Aaron Finch during the series as his woes at the top of the order only worsen.
These are the Talking Points after Australia’s ODI series against Zimbabwe.
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‘OUT OF CHARACTER’ AUSSIES SERVED WAKE-UP CALL
After two matches against Zimbabwe, it was almost impossible to find any holes in Australia’s performance.
Then came the third ODI in which Australia was lazy and lacked discipline, putting a major blemish on the series win.
That might seem a little harsh given Australia could hardly have been more dominant when the series was live. A five-wicket win with 99 balls remaining, and an eight-wicket win inside 15 overs sure were an impressive way to start the international home season.
But Australia didn’t exactly go into the third and final match with an experimental XI, looking to take some big risks that could justify the dip.
The hosts were there to win — and to do so with most of the core group selectors would expect to feature at the 2023 ODI World Cup.
And, having chased in the first two matches that ended quickly, it was an important opportunity to bat some time and make more runs.
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David Warner delivered on that front, making 94 runs off 96 balls. But Glenn Maxwell’s 19 off 22 balls was the only other Australian score worth more than five runs.
There were some great deliveries worthy of their wickets, but many came about by poor Australian shot selection, and a real air of complacency.
Warner called it out after the match, saying: “There’s no excuses.
“We obviously should have applied a bit more discipline and gotten up to at least 200.
“You have to put it down to some lazy dismissals and the odd good ball.”
Former New Zealand wicketkeeper Ian Smith said on Fox Cricket that the display was “un-Australian”.
“Australia will probably be hurting from this,” he said. “Pretty average performance to be fair … it was so un-Australian, so un-dominating as you would expect them to be over Zimbabwe.
“It’s so out of character.”
But the most brutal review came from former captain Michael Clarke, who labelled it a “horrible” display from Australia and questioned the team’s attitude.
“I think there was certainly that Harvey Norman attitude (no interest). ‘The series is over, get me out of Townsville and get me back home’. I think there was a bit of that,” he said on Big Sports Breakfast.
“Either way I don’t think Australia can afford to have that attitude.
“I feel like we might have lost a little bit of that, when you get on top of someone, absolutely destroy them and I don’t think we can afford not to have that attitude. And I think this is a good example.
“We’re not playing good enough cricket in all three formats to play at 80 per cent. You could lose to anyone on any given day, I understand that but … I just think we’ve lost that hunger to really destroy teams and stamp our authority in world cricket and fight even harder to be the best team in the world and really dominate.
“I don’t know why. The boys won’t be happy.”
Meanwhile, leg-spinner Ryan Burl took 5-10 — the second-best men’s ODI bowling figures by a spinner in Australia.
Taking the foot off the gas might’ve been un-Australian, but struggling against the spin is an all-too-familiar story for this group that was served a wake-up call in Townsville.
FINCH CONTINUES TO CAUSE MAJOR CONCERN
Australia was complacent in the final ODI, but that could be seen as only a blip that the team will overcome.
What’s arguably more concerning, and potentially far more enduring, is the form of captain Aaron Finch.
Finch is not one to pay much attention to the external noise, but it will be harder and harder to ignore after three misfires against Zimbabwe.
The right-hander finished the series with scores of 15, one and five. His ODI average this year is now 14.90, while that number shrinks to just 4.20 in his past five innings.
He’s at war with his technique, trying to make some minor adjustments that can have a big knock-on effect elsewhere, affecting his footwork and confidence.
Even so, there’s no suggestion Finch is going anywhere any time soon. Selectors chair George Bailey has been adamant that he’s not a man under threat.
But the line has to be somewhere. Bailey can’t be going in to bat for Finch during every white ball series.
Clarke said that Finch is now under “extraordinary pressure”.
“The last thing he needed as captain was to lose to Zimbabwe because it just adds fuel to that fire” he said.
“I’m sure Finchy will be steaming he hasn’t made any runs but he’ll be really disappointed that the boys have lost to Zimbabwe as well.
“It’s lucky that it’s footy finals otherwise that’s a back page story right there and Finchy’s under enormous pressure.”
Finch will go into this year’s T20 World Cup regardless of his scores this month, but selectors would be far more comfortable if he does so with runs under his belt.
The 35-year-old is confident he can overcome his troubles, telling reporters in Townsville that he expects to turn the corner soon.
“When I get a bit heavy there it starts to affect the rest of my game,” he said. “I feel as though that‘s coming along really well. The rewards will be there very soon, just hasn’t happened just yet.
“I know that I‘ve got the full support of the players and the coaching and selection staff so I’m working hard on my game. It just hasn’t quite flowed yet.
“It just comes down to giving yourself a bit of time and hopefully getting a big one shortly.”
If he doesn’t, then his involvement at the 2023 World Cup — and in ODI cricket entirely — will surely come under the microscope.
“Finchy has done very well, he’s had a very good short-form career but he’s going to be under the pump,” Clarke said.
“And I think for a World Cup he’s going to have to start well so hopefully he can make some runs against New Zealand, but I think he’ll be one of a few that will retire from certainly T20 cricket at the end of this World Cup “
SMITH SENDS SELECTION STATEMENT
Prior to June, Steve Smith had only batted at No.3 for Australia in a white ball match once since December 2020.
That position was once he’s own but Smith had been increasingly used at No.4 or No.5 in T20 cricket, while he had missed a number of ODIs since the start of 2021.
But with the next 50-over World Cup just over a year away, Smith has sent the message that he’s back, and wants to be the main man at first-drop again.
Since returning to Australia’s ODI XI in Sri Lanka in June, Smith has averaged 59.00 in five matches, including two unbeaten scores in the forties against Zimbabwe.
Haddin said during the second ODI that Smith is sending a message to selectors having been moved around the Australian order in recent years.
“He’s making a little bit of a statement,” Haddin said on Fox Cricket. “He’s been not out in both games, they’ve moved him back to No.3 and that’s the position he wants to bat.
“He wants to be the main man in this team. He’s gone up and down the order at No.4 and No.5 and been a bit of a floater, but he’s making a statement in these two games to say, ‘listen, I’m your best player, now leave me at No.3 and I’ll do a job.’”
STARC BREAKS 23-YEAR ODI RECORD
Somewhat lost in Australia’s capitulation on Saturday is that Mitchell Starc became the fastest-ever player to take 200 ODI wickets.
Starc reached the milestone late in the third ODI but, with Zimbabwe closing in on victory, it came as a bittersweet moment.
Ryan Burl was caught at mid-off to give Starc his 200th ODI wicket in his 102nd match, beating the 23-year-old record held by Pakistan’s Saqlain Mushtaq by two matches.
Starc reached the double ton in 10 less matches than Bret Lee, 23 less than Shane Warne, 27 less than Mitchell Johnson, and 31 less than Glenn McGrath.
Of the legendary Australians mentioned, only McGrath’s average of 22.02 is better than Starc’s of 22.31, while none have a better strike rate than Starc’s 26.20.
Where Starc sits in the discussion about Australia’s greatest ever ODI bowler is up for debate, but he is firmly in the mix.
