17 losses in 19 ODI games: How Australia got it so wrong with bat and ball in horror two-year spell
THE common refrain when dissecting Australia’s ODI demise has been the decline in batting standards. But it’s far from the only issue as a look back at a timeline of their run of outs clearly indicates.
- Shock pick in Warne’s top five BBL spinners
- Alex Carey anoints saviour to ODI batting woes
- Zampa gets another shot as Pope looms large
- Slimline Khawaja keeps opening Test in focus
THE last time Australia won an ODI series was almost two years ago.
That was against Pakistan at home.
With David Warner and Travis Head establishing a powerful opening partnership, Glenn Maxwell making big runs and Mitchell Starc consistently ripping through the top order, Australia were firing on all cylinders.
The nightmare tour of South Africa just a couple of months earlier - where they lost 5-0 - seemed a mere aberration.
But a lot can happen - and quickly - in the world of ODIs.
Just look at England. They didn’t even make the knockout phase of the 2015 World Cup yet now they not only sit pretty on top of the world rankings but are also warm favourites for the 2019 World Cup on home soil.
Australia’s record since those heady days stands at just two wins and 17 defeats.
They have dropped to sixth in the world rankings. It could be even lower by the time their title defence in England comes around next year as Bangladesh are pressing hard.
The common refrain when dissecting this demise has been the decline in batting standards.
An inability to last the 50 overs, poor, bordering on reckless, shot choice, getting out when set, lack of partnerships, middle order mayhem, troublesome techniques .... it’s all true.
But it’s not the only issue.
It hasn’t been as well publicised but there are some seriously worrying signs with the ball as well.
From Auckland to Kolkata, the MCG and Chester-le-Street, here is a timeline of Australia’s ODI misery and where things have gone wrong.
New Zealand v Australia
Auckland
That it was as tight as it was was purely down to Marcus Stoinis.
Without a resting Warner or Smith, Australia crumbled to 9-226 before Stoinis and Josh Hazlewood took them to within six runs of a most unlikely victory.
Stoinis was unbeaten on 146 - which included nine boundaries and 11 sixes.
He also took three wickets to curtail Kiwi hopes of a score in excess of 300.
The much-heralded trio of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins were pummeled by the likes of Martin Guptill, Neil Broom and Jimmy Neesham. The Kiwis actually hit the century mark before the 15th over.
Hamilton
The Aussie batsmen were exposed by a quality spell of left-arm seam and swing from Trent Boult - but his six-wicket haul wasn’t the sole reason for the 24-run defeat.
Yet again the Starc-Cummins-Hazlewood axis proved too expensive and let the Kiwis grab more runs than they probably deserved. There is no denying their wicket-taking ability but saving runs needs to play a part as well, especially with the Aussies not delivering enough runs.
A Ross Taylor century anchored New Zealand’s total of 9-281.
Australia got good contributions from Aaron Finch, Travis Head, Stoinis and Starc but kept losing wickets in clumps and still had three overs up their sleeve when Boult knocked over Hazlewood’s stumps.
Champions Trophy
Rain eventually washed out their opening game against the Kiwis but not before New Zealand scored 296 as the three-pronged pace attack again proved expensive.
Starc took 4-22 against Bangladesh in the next game, although it was no result again as rain intervened.
v England at Edgbaston
Australia looked set for a big total before they lost their way against the spin of Adil Rashid (it wouldn’t be the first time that happened over the next 12 months) and the left-arm pace of Mark Wood.
Finch, Smith and Head all hit half centuries as Aussies made 9-277 - but a collapse of 5-38 in the last seven-and-a-half overs didn’t help their cause.
The Aussies had the Poms 3-35 in reply before Eion Morgan and Ben Stokes turned on the style to guide the hosts home and knock their arch rivals out of contention.
Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins conceded 157 runs from their 27 overs combined.
India v Australia
Chennai
With Virat Kohli out for a duck and India reeling at 3-11, Australia let a potential winning position slip.
Half centuries to MS Dhoni and Hardik Pandya pushed India to 7-281. Nathan Coulter-Nile and Cummins were impressive but India feasted on the offerings from Australia’s all-rounders and spinner.
Rain reduced Australia’s target but they were still never in the hunt chasing 164 off 21 overs.
Kolkata
Kohli found form and India cruised home.
The India skipper hit 92 and Ajinkya Rahane chipped in with 55 as India scrapped together 252 on a difficult pitch.
Australia bolstered their attack with the inclusion of Kane Richardson and he and Coulter-Nile took three wickets each - although they did leak runs at an alarming rate.
The tourists lost wickets in clumps yet again, the final six for 64 as they fell 50 runs short.
Indore
The batting could hardly be blamed for this defeat as the bowlers faltered against a hot Indian batting line-up.
Aaron Finch hit 124 and Steve Smith 63 as the Aussies raced to 6-293.
India put on 139 for the first wicket and never looked back. Kohli scored just 29 but three other Indian batsmen scored in excess of 70 and the hosts had plenty in reserve and won with 13 balls to spare.
All five Aussie bowlers went for more than five any over.
Bengaluru
A win! Hurray!
And it came on the back of an outstanding all-round display.
Finch and Warner put on 231 for the first wicket before Peter Handscomb added some spice late on to take the total up to 5-334.
India gave the Aussies some nervous moments but they picked up wickets at key times to keep them in check.
Nagpur
Plenty of starts but only David Warner made 50 as Australia reverted to their frustrating old ways with the bat.
Steve Smith continued his up-and-down run of form (he finished the series with 142 runs at 28.4) while the middle order found boundaries hard to come by as India turned the screws.
It was always going to be a tough to defend 242, and so it proved as Rohit Sharma hit 125 and Rahane 61 to inspire a victory with over seven overs to spare.
Like they did earlier in the series, Australia went into the match a fast bowler short - and they paid the price.
Australia v England
MCG
Australia scored 8-304, but, put simply, they should have scored many, many more.
Finch smacked 107 but fell in the 36th over. Mitchell Marsh grabbed 50 but departed with 14 overs still to go and it was only down to some lusty blows from Stoinis to get them within sight of 300.
Jason Roy then took the game completely away with one of the most brutal ODI knocks of all time. England’s 50 came up in the fifth over, the 100 off just 80 balls and the 200 in the 32nd over.
After such a start, England cruised home.
Brisbane
Finch hit another century. He just loves playing England, as six tons and an average clearly indicate.
Warner and Smith fell when set and the middle order failed to push on from a positive start.
Sound familiar!
Australia scrambled to 9-270 - which looked about 40 runs shy of what they needed - and England again won comfortably.
Starc proved a one-man wrecking machine with four wickets but was again expensive (59).
SCG
Jos Buttler, come on down!
With England on the ropes, the wicketkeeper/batsman smashed an even 100 off just 83 balls to push the Poms over the 300 mark for the second time in the series.
All the bowlers suffered but special pain was reserved for the Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins trio (188 from 30 overs).
Another Warner failure didn’t help Australia’s cause but they stayed in the hunt until late, eventually falling 16 runs short.
Adelaide
Hazlewood (four wickets) and Cummins (three) destroyed England’s batting, reducing them at one stage to 5-8 before the Poms battled back to 197.
AJ Tye complimented the duo perfectly, taking three wickets late in the innings just when the Poms looked likely to post a decent score.
But canny leggie Rashid made the Aussies sweat. He reduced them to 5-136 and it needed a knock of 96 from Head to ensure they got home.
Perth
Tye produced career-best figures of 5-46 to help knock over England for a gettable 259.
Starc and Hazlewood though both went for big runs in another troubling outing for the duo.
Everyone in the top seven got into double figures for Australia but Stoinis with 87 was the only one to score more than 50 and the Aussies fell 12 runs short.
Australia in England
The Oval
The Aussies stacked their line-up with pace bowling options and their batting was left threadbare.
The result was predictable.
Six of the top seven got starts but only Glenn Maxwell (62) passed 50 as Australia were knocked over for 214.
The Poms were never in danger and eased home with six overs to spare.
Cardiff
And didn’t the runs flow here.
Roy scored 120 off 108 balls and Buttler chipped in with 91 off 70 as England reached 8-342.
Even though Shaun Marsh hit 131 off 116 balls, Australia never looked likely. The loss of early wickets made the task almost impossible from the start.
Trent Bridge
This is the most humiliating game in Aussie ODI history
Best to keep it short and sweet then!
Roy hit 82, Jonny Bairstow 139 off 92 balls and Alex Hales 147 off 92 balls as England scored a world record 6-481.
All the main Aussie bowlers - bar spinner Ashton Agar - went for more than nine an over.
The Aussie batsmen were undone by spin yet again as Moeen Ali and Rashid took seven wickets between them and the Aussies were out for 239, some 2243 runs short of their target.
Chester-le-Street
Finch and Shaun Marsh both scored centuries but their dismissals came at pivotal times and Australia again lost their way.
They settled for 8-310 but it could have been so much more if the middle order had fired up.
It didn’t matter anyway as the ubiquitous Roy scored another century and Buttler smashed 54 off 29 balls.
Old Trafford
Australia nearly pulled off a stunning consolation victory only to see some Buttler heroics snatch it away from them.
The batting, again, hardly helped their cause. Head hit 56 off 42 balls and D’Arcy Short remained 47 not out as the Aussies started off at breakneck speed only to see a continuous fall of wickets end their their innings in the 35th over.
The Aussies went an unconventional route with the ball and opened with Agar, and it looked to have paid dividends as the Poms slumped to 8-114.
But they couldn’t dislodge Buttler, and with No.11 Jake Ball for company, he saw the hosts home in a thriller.
Australia v South Africa
Perth
The game was essentially up after 10 minutes as the Aussies slumped to 3-8.
A top score of 34 from the No.9 says it all.
South Africa’s openers took the game right away from the hosts with an opening stand of 94.
Stoinis was the best bowler with three wickets, which doesn’t say a whole lot about the impact of the main bowlers.
Every Test, ODI, T20I, and BBL match live. Get Sport HD + Entertainment with no lock in contract and no iQ4 set up costs. SIGN UP TODAY! T&C’s Apply
Originally published as 17 losses in 19 ODI games: How Australia got it so wrong with bat and ball in horror two-year spell