The extent of Albert Einstein’s cricket knowledge is unknown, but one of his best-known musings may well apply to Australia’s tour of India.
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results,” Einstein is widely credited as saying.
Matthew Renshaw may be replaced in the side by Cameron Green if he is fit.Credit:Getty Images
The question is, at what stage does keeping the faith with those who have failed become insanity, which can easily take hold of teams touring India?
Cricket is a batter’s game, so there are any number of historical precedents to suggest despite losing by an innings and 132 runs inside three days, Australia’s batters may survive and a bowler may be dropped for the second Test in Delhi.
England were bowled out for 46 during their 1994 tour of the West Indies, when the calypso kings were still unofficial Test champions, dropped leggie Ian Salisbury for modest left-arm finger spinner Phil Tufnell as the only change in the following Test, and won by 208 runs.
England, though, were competitive in that series, before going down 3-1. There was nothing competitive about Australia in Nagpur, save for an 82-run third-wicket partnership between Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith, which wasn’t nearly long enough, and some brilliant bowling from debutant off-spinner Todd Murphy, who created a middle-order collapse.
Mitchell Starc may play the second Test if he overcomes a finger injury.Credit:Getty Images
Australia’s most likely change is to leave out Scott Boland, who bowled well but without luck, for Mitchell Starc should he overcome a finger injury.
The big hope is that all-rounder Cameron Green will recover sufficiently from a broken finger to replace Matt Renshaw in the middle order and offer Australia another fast-bowling option. That would allow Australia to play three spinners in Delhi, with Queensland left-arm tweaker Matt Kuhnemann being flown over.
While debate continues among Australia’s cricket hierarchy about whether to rush shock axing Travis Head back as an opener in place of David Warner, it’s not only the batting which is a concern. The fielding was below par and the bowling often uninspiring.
As the fastest bowler in the team, captain Pat Cummins should have brought himself back on to tailenders who were flourishing and tried to unsettle them with some short bowling. Even if the slow, low pitch saw the odd ball hit into the stands, at least it would have changed the tempo.
Todd Murphy made an exceptional debut, claiming seven wickets.Credit:AP
Unfortunately, Cummins set a disappointing tempo from the outset, bowling too straight late on the first day after Australia were bowled out for an inadequate 177. It set opposing captain Rohit Sharma rolling with regular flicks to the square leg boundary on the way to a match-defining century.
For the number one ranked fast bowler in the world to begin so poorly after such a calamitous batting display reinforced Australia’s lack of preparation for the tour.
With India at 5-168, the Australians were still well in the game, but the last five wickets added 232. Australia’s last five wickets added 68 in the first innings and 39 in the second, when the team was bowled out for 91, Australia’s lowest total on Indian soil.
The biggest concern was how little impact Nathan Lyon had. Unlucky as he was at times, the 116-Test, 461-wicket veteran was comprehensively out-bowled by Murphy, who was exceptional in his first match.
Lyon finished with 1-126 off 49 overs and Murphy 7-124 off 47, although both suffered from the poor fielding that let a late-swinging tail get away.
Steve O’Keefe, who took 12 wickets in the first Test of the 2017 tour during Australia’s only victory in India for what has stretched to 19 years, believes Murphy’s success was down to the way he held the seam like the Indian spinners.
“It’s something that’s really disregarded a lot here in Australia, how they (India spinners) bowl with the seam on top of the ball, as opposed to bowling up the back of the ball, like a natural shape with bounce and spin,” O’Keefe said.
“I believe that sort of shape is the key to success over there. And Murph was bowling that more often than not.”
The bottom line is whatever Australia do with team selection may simply be shuffling deck chairs. India have lost just two of 43 Tests at home during the past 10 years and don’t look like losing another any time soon.
News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.
