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equatorThe Windies lost this series 2-0, but were there abouts in 2 of these tests because of one reason, Australia kept collapsing.
They lost the Ashes for the same reason.
It is easy to blame the bowlers, but Australia’s attack is still pretty inexperienced and keeps getting injured.
Their batting line up has plenty of tests and years behind them, they hardly ever get injured, and of recent times they collapse like they’re in a 1950 horror film.
It can’t just be Michael Hussey.
There has to be something fundamentally wrong somewhere. Twice in their last four tests they have been bowled out for less than 200, and on neither occasion the pitch was the culprit.
When a team can organise their own collapse, they make themselves a fairly hittable target.
At no stage did all the Windies bowlers fire as one, Bravo, Rampaul, Roach and Benn all had their moments, but Australia was, like the Ashes, more than happy to step in and help.
The Pakistan camp was pretty confident before they even arrived in Australia, saying they could win, who could argue with them.
Their bowling unit is tight and they have Asif in top form. Ofcourse their batting seems just as likely to collapse as Australia.
The problem for Australia is that other than a shallow tail, there is no obvious flaw. Katich and Watson probably need to be split up so Watson can bowl more, but they are working as a team.
Ponting is still a more than capable number three. Hussey is still a concern, but in the last 4 tests he has been as good as any time in the last 18 months. Clarke has never been one to save Australia in a collapse, but in recent times has made some handy rearguard scores.
North seems to be permanently playing for his spot, he does go out early on occasion, but once he is set he is fine. And Haddin is Haddin. He hooked in the dark at Lord’s.
Bringing in Bailey, Hughes, Klinger or any Marsh won’t fix this.
It’s not a bad batting order, but how do you expect to win test if you can’t make 200?
I keep mentioning the Ashes today, must be trying to sell my book.
Good point.
Nothing wrong with the order, or the players, they keep collapsing.
maybe an infusion of Brendan Nash’s blood into the top order?
Bring back Gillespie to bat at 3?
calypsos are better at collapsos, but oz is giving good competition
Whilst the theory of moving Watson is sound in theory, what happens if you move him to 5 and then he fails a few times as do the openers. Suddenly you’ve screwed up something that was actually working really well. I suggest don’t change that till a problem presents itself. Don’t forget he has batted down the order, and struggled starting his innings against spin.
If Punter doesn’t butter up for Boxing Day it’s going to make for any interesting selection decision. Rather than upset the balance, they’ll either stick in a no.3, or shuffle Hussey into 3, leave North at 6 and insert into 5 one of Bailey, Klinger or Marsh the elder. You’d think Marsh would have the inside running already being part of the Australian ODI team and already being on a test tour as a reserve batsmen, but who knows.
australia should play allrounders for all batting positions. if punter goes asunder, bring in mickeyD.
What the hell is going on with North? He seems to have dissolved lately. Even The Muss is batting better, and that’s saying something.
I hope Fergie gets a chance when he is fit again.
Dustbinner´s last blog ..The team
Is this like the English disease? Capable players who inexplicably discover their clay feet when under any pressure?
Actually, I don’t think so. My kneejerk reaction is to blame the Americanisation of Autralian culture. Stomach-turningly revolting in aspect though they were, the likes of AB, Boony and Merv would never have put on such a poncy, embarrasing display as seen when Shane Watson got Chris Gayles’ wicket. There’ll be crying in public, next. The clowns.
And to be having the reputation as the nastiest bunch of galahs to ever put on whites may well have been overlooked when they were invincible and this dickheadedness could be claimed to be helping their dominance. Nowadays they just look like arseholes.
I have been saying this for ages, that the batting is at least as bad with far less excuse than the bowlers. The seam bowling line-up seems to consists of MJ and whoever is lined up for the next cap. The Aussies have given out test caps to Hilfy, Bolly, McDonald, McKay this year alone and Sids hasn’t that many matches under his belt and nor has Hauritz.
Hussey has actually never been that great under pressure. Compare him with someone like KP who can pick up the team from 2 or 3 down for bugger all regularly. Hussey can’t do that, has never really done that. He needs Punter and the openers’ good form to score runs himself.
Punter is not in great form which doesn’t help as I think most of the team panics when he goes early. Very surprisingly Michael Clarke seems to be one of the only ones who doesn’t. Plus Haddin has some fight in him (apart from the obvious dickheaded stuff when he is on the pitch and the ball isn’t in play.)
North is definitely under pressure. He hasn’t stopped a collapse more than once and there was a few in the SA series in SA as well as the Ashes and the latest debacle. MJ isn’t any use under pressure with the bat, I’d trust Horrible Hauritz before him.
The Aussies get out for less than 240 or so pretty regularly these days. Because they can’t handle pressure.
The batting is as bad as the bowling, sure. The reason it’s not so noticeable is that the batting always had problems from time to time. How many times did they collapse, only to be resuced by McGrath, Warne and co.? That’s even before you take into account the way that having that bowling lineup took the pressure off the batsmen, resulting in higher scores.
Jonathan´s last blog ..From west to west
Vim’s pretty much right; Australia can’t handle pressure. At Adelaide, the only reason they didn’t make 500/2 was that they lost concentration, got bored and played a stupid shot. There’s a difference between backing yourself under pressure, and being over-confident.
To me, it felt the same, oh, about 6 months ago.
Yep, there’s an Ashes worth of difference between the two…
Hell with any complicated explanations, our first innings have been fine recently.
Our problem is we’ve all gotten poncy and forgotten how to handle the heat so we come in after roasting in the field and get splattered.