Australia’s Travis Head deserves to open but reality bites without Steve Smith and David Warner.
Why Travis Head deserves an extended run as Australian opener despite a series-opening loss to England that illustrated the top-order investment required without banned duo Steve Smith and David Warner.
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Travis Head deserves an extended run as Australian opener despite a series-opening loss to England that illustrated the top-order investment required without banned duo Steve Smith and David Warner.
England (7/218) prevailed by three wickets at The Oval through a match-winning 115-run, fourth-wicket stand between one-day and Test leaders Eoin Morgan (69) and Joe Root (50).
Australia had Glenn Maxwell (62, 64 balls) fire but the Big Show lacked a specialist partner before No.7 Ashton Agar (40) provided a teasing, 84-run liaison.
The cool exploits of Morgan and Root underlined the superstar hole former skipper Smith and Warner left as England chased an under par 215 with six overs remaining. Seven of Smith’s eight one-day tons have come in the top three while opener Warner has 14.
Head (5) entered the series opener averaging 50 over five starts opening for Australia but fell chasing a hooping outswinger from allrounder David Willey.
Head cracked a lead-in ton (106) against Middlesex at Lord’s and remains a solid choice in a preferred left-hand, right-hand combo with Finch. D’Arcy Short’s explosive hitting will always tempt selectors but chopping and changing early in Langer’s reign could send the wrong message for a side seeking stability at the top. England’s top-order of Jason Roy (0), Jonny Bairstow (28) and Alex Hales (5) also failed.
Australia has to get its top five right - particularly against the premium leg-spin of Adil Rashid (2/36) and back-up from Moeen Ali (3/43).
England’s tweakers bowled 19 overs unchanged after replacing Mark Wood and Willey claiming Finch (19), underdone No.3 Shaun Marsh (24), Marcus Stoinis (24), Paine (12) and Agar despite solid starts.
“It was really simple, we just didn’t get enough runs out of our top five,” conceded Paine “You don’t win too many one-day games when the highest score out of your top five is 22 or 23 runs.”
Australia’s batting looks thin with keeper Paine (12, 19 balls) at No.5. ICC No.1 ranked England’s vast reserves were highlighted by undefeated No.8 Willey (35) icing the contest.
Respected Test skipper Paine was required to marshall Australia in coach Justin Langer’s debut series - and first after Sandpaper-gate. Swashbuckling Alex Carey is the keeper-batsman in Australia’s first-choice one-day XI.
Australia trialled Finch at No.5 in the middle-order against Middlesex where the Victorian made 54 and looms as middle-order safeguard if further defeats cause Australia to change tack this series.
The positive for Langer was firebrand Billy Stanlake (2/42) who beat opener Jason Roy (0) for pace and returned to knock over Root. There is depth behind injured first-choice quartet of Mitch Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins and Mitch Marsh. AJ Tye, debutant Michael Neser and Kane Richardson also impressed.
Australia craves a wicket-taking wrist-spinner but would benefit from giving Test off-spinner Nathan Lyon a chance to impact this series.
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