Batsmen in a spin again on dry deck
AUSTRALIA’S batting is once again in a state of shambles, after a shocking collapse against Bangladesh left Australia coughin up a first innings deficit to the one-time cricketing laughing stock.
Fighting to repair damaged reputations from the ugly contract dispute, Australia’s top order were instead taught a humiliating lesson by the ninth-ranked minnows and abject embarrassment is on the cards unless Australia’s bowlers can with both bat and ball, launch a rescue mission.
Of the 10 teams that play Test cricket, Australia as a collective have the worst batting average (26.69) in Asia of any side in the world – including Zimbabwe.
Last year Australia suffered the ignominy of not only losing to Sri Lanka for the first time, but being whitewashed by a side that has since been shown up to be below top class standard themselves.
Now it’s up to the bowlers to save Steve Smith’s side from becoming the first Australian outfit to ever lose to Bangladesh.
Despite a late fight from Ashton Agar (41 not out), Australia crumbled to all out for 217 in reply to Bangladesh’s 260.
If Australia can’t win either of the two Tests this tour, they would slump to sixth, an all-time low, on the ICC rankings.
It was brain explosion after brain explosion from the tourists yesterday, as Steve Smith (right) and
Glenn Maxwell senselessly charged down the wicket into oblivion and Matt Wade failed to review an incorrect lbw dismissal when Australia was on its last legs.
Matt Renshaw to be the opener being shown the is 21year-old supposed
ropes by his seniors, but few others had any interest in applying themselves for a long innings and it was left up to the kid to set the example for those dropping like ninepins around him. Renshaw set the tone for a comeback in a 69-run partnership with Peter Handscomb, but in the end they too were guilty of lapses in concentration and with them Australia crashed like a ton of bricks, at one stage losing 4-42 to go with the 3-14 they shed to start the innings. In recent campaigns Australia has lost away to Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India – and now Bangladesh, who have won just nine from 100 Tests in their history have a sniff of a great upset. Wonder boys Agar and Pat Cummins led a spirited rear-guard action leading into tea – showing how scoring can improve if you’re willing to bat time and let the ball soften - but it couldn’t paper over the cracks of Australia’s alarming regression from the encouraging inroads made in India a few months ago.