‘Brave’ call Aussies must make on bumbling batters after Darwin disaster
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Pat Cummins admitted there’s a “trend” with his side’s faltering batting order as calls for change grow after the first Test loss against Bangladesh.
Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green were the three men under the most pressure for runs and only the latter could answer his critics with a brilliant second-innings ton.
Pat Cummins leads the Australian team off the field. Getty Images
Weatherald scored 23 in the first innings and was caught behind with a shot he’d like to forget before he chopped on for a duck in the second dig.
As for Labuschagne, his first innings dismissal was reminiscent of many before when he edged to second slip for 1. In the second innings he looked much better for 31 until he was bowled by Taijul Islam.
The frustration was clear with Labuschagne’s dismissal as Steve Smith constantly shook his head down the other end.
“I don’t know how Marnus has missed this,” David Warner said on Fox’s commentary.
Now all eyes will be on Australia’s selections for the second Test in Mackay and Cummins conceded there will be a consideration for change.
“I think it’s a balance of it’s one Test, but it’s also a bit of a trend as well, so trying to work out do you need to intervene now, or let it play out, and you think it’s the way forward,” he said.
“That’s the question over the next couple of days, we’ll sit down and have a think, selectors will have a think, is there something there that’s going to take us forward, or is it starting to become a trend that, we think, needs to be changed.”
Cummins also admitted the batting group is “not quite functioning” right now.
“So I’m sure the batters will get together and talk, review some footage, review methods, their approaches to how they were this week,” he said.
“If we need to make some changes to our style, we’ve got a week or so and we better do it pretty quickly.”
At the start of day four, Ricky Ponting continued his call for change.
“If it ends up being an embarrassing defeat, then I think it’s inevitable they have to make change,” he said on Seven.
“I was on the record last summer thinking this was the ideal time to start to regenerate this team. I’m the last one wanting to make change, as a captain I wanted to keep the group together, it has to get to a bad point before I start saying I want to leave anyone out.
Campbell Kellaway. Getty
“There had been enough evidence coming in to suggest they weren’t going to lose anything or much at all by starting that regeneration by maybe bringing in another opener and somebody at three.”
Earlier in the Test on day one, Ponting revealed his desire was to have Campbell Kellaway and Ollie Peake blooded into the side.
Kellaway missed an opportunity to make an early statement when he played against Bangladesh in the warm-up match for the CA XI and scored a duck.
Last season in the Sheffield Shield he scored 509 runs at 26.78 but at 23 years old, his potential has set him apart from others.
Australia hasn’t been afraid to blood youngsters before, with Warner a successful example.
Peake is also a heralded youngster, having debuted for Australia in ODI cricket at 19. He scored 323 runs in the Shield last year at 23.07.
Those numbers expose the problem for Australia, with not enough batting depth throughout the country, hence Labuschagne’s long run in the side.
Marnus Labuschagne blew two chances at the crease to cement his spot in the Test team. Getty Images
But the upcoming decision for selectors will have to be brave. And Australian fans would have to be patient because the results won’t be perfect.
The reality is Australia has a tough run of fixtures ahead, starting with a Test series in South Africa.
The question will be: do Weatherald and Labuschagne deserve even more patience or is it time to take a gamble despite tours of India and England coming up?
Kellaway and Peake aren’t the only options.
Matt Renshaw is only 30 and could fill the opener’s spot, with Matthew Hayden a strong supporter. Renshaw scored 499 runs at 49.90 in Shield cricket last season.
Nathan McSweeney is the other name to consider. He was given a baptism of fire in his Test career, having to open against Indian superstar Jasprit Bumrah and quickly being bowled out of the team.
McSweneey has always been a No.4 but if he wants to return to Test cricket, Labuschagne’s spot at three could be his.
Nathan McSweeney. Getty
Cummins has always maintained he’s not big on batting orders and repeated that stance again after the Bangladesh loss.
In this season of County cricket, McSweeney has played for division two side Northamptonshire and scored 589 runs at 49.08.
His time may come in South Africa, and if it does it’s time to pick and stick with the 27-year-old.
