Stunning Australian slump hard to fathom

THE Australian cricket team must beat Bangladesh in Chittagong this week to avoid their worst form slump in 31 years.

Four losses in their past five series would be the inexcusable bottom line if Australia fail to square the two-Test series this week and that’s as bad as it has been for Australia since the grim years of the mid-1980s.

Back then Australia lost four series in a row – to the West Indies (twice), England and New Zealand – but there were excuses of sorts because Rod Marsh, Greg Chappell and Dennis Lillee had just retired and a busload of top-liners quit Australian cricket to be a part of the rebel tour to South Africa.

Chastening numbers can sneak up on you in cricket. Former Test quick Rodney Hogg yesterday tweeted the Australian cricket team was like the Collingwood AFL team – “a lot of great talk but not much delivery with results’’.

A provocative point but a fair one.

Collingwood have been going nowhere for six years but every major press conference sells hope with as much zest as that telephone company cold caller who offers you a deal you simply can’t refuse.

Australian cricket knows this feeling.

Glenn Maxwell has been going to take over the world for how long?

Usman Khawaja has been blowing hot and cold for years. James Pattinson has been the tornado putting red marks on the radar but somehow missing shore.

Matthew Wade has been widely lauded as an improving gloveman – then lets 30 byes through in the first Test.

Australia’s young Test team has some highly promising threads but the tapestry is yet to be fully woven. Expectations have fallen. Who would have thought it would come to Australia having a “surprise’’ victory over Bangladesh. These are testing, deceptively desperate times.