ASHES EMPIRE Defeated in India, Australia set platform for England revenge
STEVE Smith’s Australian cricket team is still a work in progress but the bricks have been laid in India for a bumper Ashes summer.
At the moment, the wounds of a series loss at Dharamsala are raw and will take some time to heal. The hard reality is Australia had the BorderGavaskar Trophy at their fingertips.
They’re now left with an endless number of “what ifs” about chances they had in the second Test and the decider to put the series away.
Labelled the worst Australian team to tour the subcontinent, Smith’s men were meant to crash and burn 4-0.
“This team has grown so quickly. We are still a very young side. It wasn’t too long ago we were at Hobart and it was the end of the world,” Smith said. “I am proud of the way we have been able to turn things around and compete in these conditions.”
It was supposed to be a bloodbath, yet Pat Cummins has been a revelation, 20-year-old rock Matt Renshaw has taken further strides, Glenn Maxwell announced himself as a Test player, Nathan Lyon powerfully reasserted himself as Australia’s No.1 spinner and Matt Wade has exceeded expectations behind the stumps.
Leading the way is captain courageous Smith, who has proven beyond doubt he is the best batsman in the world by the length of the straight. He needs more support, but Australia’s batting unit went forward not backwards on this tour in trying conditions. A few tweaks need to be made by selectors.
Shaun Marsh’s fighting, game-saving knock in Ranchi justified his selection as a sub-continent specialist for this series. But this should be the end of his Test career.
At 33, Marsh (right) has an unreliable body and an unreliable Test average, and Usman Khawaja — one of the top 10 batsmen in the world — has to return for the Ashes.
Maxwell creates an interesting headache for selectors. His temperament and batting sense show he belongs at this level — but he doesn’t solve Australia’s all-rounder conundrum, particularly on home soil.