Australia’s Test side has been highly successful over the past few years, but there’s been one glaring issue they’ve failed to fix: their fragile batting line-up. It feels like in every Test match we rely on Steve Smith, a handy cameo, and the bowling attack to get the win, and more often than not, it prevails. But the Aussie side has been found out in the World Test Championship.
For a good 10 years, it felt like 90% of Test wickets were basically flat highways. Everyone was scoring runs and boasting ultra-impressive averages. In recent years, however, we’ve seen a lot more Test pitches provide an even contest between bat and ball, and we’re finally seeing just how mediocre some of these batters really are.
I’m not taking anything away from the South African bowling line-up, it’s a great one, but this wicket is far from a “green monster”, as you’d say. A pitch offering just the slightest bit has these Australian batters absolutely shitting themselves. Marnus Labuschagne shows no intent, and even less footwork; he is a walking wicket every innings these days. Travis Head is one of my favourite cricketers, but he’s basically a 0-or-100 type of player. That’s great when he’s on fire, but when he’s out of form, he is dreadful to watch and looks like he’s getting out nearly every ball he faces.
Here are the averages for the Australian batters during this World Test Championship cycle:
Beau Webster – 46.20
Steve Smith – 41.26
Usman Khawaja – 39.66
Travis Head – 34.50
Cameron Green – 31.46
Marnus Labuschagne – 27.82
Barring a few, that is simply not good enough and, in my opinion, the definition of mediocrity.
Given the ageing Australian squad and a home Ashes series coming up, they’re in desperate need of finding a few batters who can consistently do a job, because we can’t rely on Steve Smith every innings.
Beau Webster has been a great find and a smart selection. He is one of the only players who can combat a moving ball and hang in there for long periods by backing his technique. Unsurprisingly, his home ground is Hobart, arguably the most difficult pitch to bat on in Australia. Maybe it’s time we start picking players who can play a moving ball and have a solid technique. It’s not rocket science.
There’s no better time to start blooding some younger talent and trying different things in the upcoming Test series against the West Indies, because this current batting line-up is not good enough.
