Australia shouldn’t get carried away after thrilling Test win over India – here’s how England can exploit their biggest weakness in the Ashes
Victory for Australia on Monday in front of a monstrous Melbourne crowd summed up the size of the task awaiting England Down Under next winter.
India had snuck their way to 112 for three going into the final session of an enthralling Test that drew an Australian record attendance of 373,691 across the five days, surpassing the aggregate that watched the 1936-37 Ashes match at the same venue.
But the tourists’ batting imploded after Rishabh Pant was suckered by Travis Head’s occasional off-spin and, roared on by the majority of the near 75,000 crowd on the final evening, Australia hurtled to a 184-run success that puts them on the cusp of qualifying for another World Test Championship final.
Another win for Pat Cummins’ team over India in Sydney next week would guarantee them the chance to defend their title against South Africa at Lord’s in June.
Once again, it was their bowlers who sealed the deal. This current set-up contains four of Australia’s top 10 most prolific of all time in Tests plus the dependable Scott Boland, currently in the line-up due to an injury to Josh Hazlewood, as first reserve.
England know all about the perils of facing Boland at the MCG. Three years ago, he finished with six for seven on debut — a performance that allowed Australia to wrap up the Ashes by lunch on day three of the third Test.
Australia claimed a famous win over India in the Boxing Day Test on Monday
They remain a major force and England will have their work cut out in next year’s Ashes
But Australia have an ageing bowling attack, including Mitchell Starc (pictured), who have been battling with niggling injuries in recent times
Here, he finished with overall figures of six for 96, having featured in a vital last-wicket stand of 61 in the third innings, pushing his captain Cummins (six for 117 plus 90 runs with the bat) for the man-of-the-match award in the process. Off-spinner Nathan Lyon wrapped up the innings, just as he had the first.
There is no doubt Australia have the attack in their own conditions to dismantle any opponents, with the amount of pace and bounce they generate, meaning that even an England team at their Bazballian best might come unstuck.
But their strength might arguably be their weakness given their profiles. When the Ashes series begins in less than 11 months, the average age of their fab five will be 35, a time of life at which injuries are harder to ward off.
Indeed, injuries have already begun to bite. Hazlewood began the series against India with a side strain and has since been sidelined by a calf issue.
Mitchell Starc is battling a rib niggle ahead of a final match of the series that India must win to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
If Starc misses out, it would go some way to addressing a fairly significant question for the longer term: namely, do Australia possess bench strength?
For, while England have spent this calendar year working on theirs, pensioning off Jimmy Anderson soon after his former new-ball sidekick Stuart Broad waved goodbye to the game, and blooding Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse, the Test world champions have freewheeled towards an Ashes assignment viewed as the last post for many of them.
But what if creaking bodies mean their main men do not get there? It is not an easy one to answer. Why? Because Australia have simply not tested their reserve stocks. It is an astounding statistic that among their active frontline bowlers, only Lyon, Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood have taken more Test wickets than Shoaib Bashir’s 49 for England.
England have found two promising bowlers in Gus Atkinson (left) and Brydon Carse (right) who can shine in Australia
Australia also have issues with their batting line-up, with all-rounder Mitchell Marsh (pictured) struggling for runs, and England could take advantage of this
Jhye Richardson, on standby to replace Starc next week, has played just four first-class matches since the most recent of his three Test appearances two years ago.
There are issues elsewhere, too. Yes, teenager Sam Konstas made a half-century on debut but his selection came about only after Nathan McSweeney had failed his audition as David Warner’s replacement. Mitch Marsh is also facing the chop from the all-rounder’s role — with Beau Webster waiting in the wings — after 73 runs in four Tests.
Cameron Green, a shoo-in starter in the best Aussie team, is out for six months following spinal surgery.
So, while thousands barracking for ‘Straya’ enjoyed their moment on Monday, this is not the baggy green machine of old. At their best, they justify their No 1 ranking, but if cracks continue to open, they might not be so easy to patch over.
