Misery needs company. And the only company Australia have had in the absence of Starc and Hazlewood has been that of misery. Just when one thought things couldn’t have gotten worse, along comes the news of Billy Stanlake’s injury.
Under no circumstance can an ODI captain expect his opponent to shudder in fear when his starting line up of fast bowlers have a combined experience of 9 games, including a debut for a lead pacer.
Australia’s fast-bowling woes
Having picked up a laceration on his foot, a very Steven Finn-like Billy Stanlake is ruled out of the second ODI. Who knows if he’ll return for the third game, by which time, a lot may have changed in the series.
By adding Michael Neser and Billy Stanlake, Australia allocated exuberance and confidence to the talented duo of Andrew Tye and Kane Richardson. Stanlake’s natural height and ability to induce bounce will be sorely missed.
Even as their combined experience of 4 games cannot inspire confidence, in the last ODI, 4 of the 7 wickets that Australia garnered were a result of Stanlake and new man Neser’s efforts.
Does the side look confident in giving Tye and Richardson an onerous role?
Does this effectively mean that Eoin Morgan’s side, that had made a match out of an ask of 218 at Kennington Oval, is bound to have an easier time?
What might trouble Australia all the more is the absence of a key spinner. Even as Morgan and Root fired important runs in the chase, what rocketed Australia was Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid’s clipping of half the side.
Does Australia have a match-winning spinner to counter England?
A thought goes out to Nathan Lyon- 65 wickets against England in Tests at 29- who may have been picked, his importance to the current side minus Smith, Warner akin to a sorcerer who can take wickets out of the hat like rabbits in magic shows.
Even as fans might wonder why selectors turned a blind eye on a match-winning, experienced campaigner, who’s travelled previously to England, Cricket Australia would insist they’ve picked the best lot for the series.
This is unless you realise, in Stanlake, Neser, Paine- the captain with an experience appearing in 31 ODIs-Â Australia has the weaponry if not the marksmen who’ve used it to good effect.
Questions run abound as Australia look to topple England
Meanwhile, for England, things could be easier than what they seem at present.
For starters, the only looming threat that may have had in Maxwell, 64 of 73, would also convey the ‘Big Show’ struggled to get going, particularly for the lack of partners at the end.
Mark Wood and David Willey have been hitting the deck hard and, much to the delight of Skipper Eoin Morgan, have been collecting key wickets, keeping the runs in check.
In Tim Paine, who failingly attempted a reverse sweep to give catching practice behind the stumps, 12 of 19, Australia seemingly unveiled an ineffective batsman instead of a captain aware of the key responsibility expected of him.
Should Paine expect a turnaround, that dormant bat of his will have to score.
But England, well aware of Paine and a fledgeling middle order with Shaun Marsh in it as its only strength would be happy to let Rashid and Ali have a go at the Aussies.
Meanwhile, with Root and Morgan both in devastating form, England cannot be expected to go easy on Australia.
Have you looked at Morgan’s record against Australia?
On most days when he isn’t amongst the runs, Eoin Morgan can pass off as a grade cricketer trying to work up the big runs.
But the moment he begins to time the ball; finding the gaps and putting fielders at work, there are few better timers of the ball.
From 49 opportunities to punish the ball delivered by Aussies, Morgan has done quite the same in scoring 1733 ODI runs. That’s the most he has plummetted any opposition in the limited overs game. A batsman with a full range of strokes, he’s quite the master at putting fielders at backward point and fine leg busy.
This is beautiful and in contrast to Joe Root, again on form, again another English batsman who can run down Australia, who’s a connoisseur of the off-side.
Whether Australia can control what seems to be a very English summer will rest on their ability to take each over as being decisive.
For now, everything is at stake, including Tim Paine’s leadership abilities.