Australia finished third on World Test Championship ladder but first on unexpected but satisfying ICC ladder

Australia has tidied up its act since the Sandpapergate scandal – but one 14-ball mishap has cost them enormously in their bid to reach the Test Championship final.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 09: Tim Paine and Nathan Lyon of Australia questions Umpire Paul Wilson over a DRS referral against Cheteshwar Pujara of India during day three of the 3rd Test match in the series between Australia and India at Sydney Cricket Ground on January 09, 2021 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Australia’s image makeover from “sandpaper cheats” to “choirboys” is complete – but the stinging reality is that Tim Paine’s team has failed to achieve its No.1 goal because the bowlers fell 14 deliveries behind the clock at the MCG.

Three years on from the Cape Town scandal and Australia has incurred just one out of the ICC’s 40 code of conduct penalties – setting the benchmark for behaviour in world cricket.

The only blemish was Paine swearing at umpire Paul Wilson over DRS at the SCG this year. He was fined 15 per cent of his match fee for the minor offence and apologised profusely after the Test.

Tim Paine and the Aussies are left to rue not bowling 14 balls during the MCG Test.

Coach Justin Langer has taken pride in the culture transformation and near-perfect charge sheet, which has revealed Sri Lanka, West Indies and England as cricket’s bad boys.

But they say nice guys finish last and match referee David Boon’s decision to slap a rare slow over-rate penalty after a Boxing Day Test that India won inside four days has ultimately cost Australia its shot at glory at this year’s World Test Championship Final.

Without those four docked points it would’ve been a blockbuster Test Grand Final between Australia and India, because Paine’s team would’ve finished equal on the ladder with New Zealand and advanced under the ICC’s runs-per-wicket tie-breaker system.

That would’ve been another “barest of margins” elimination for the Black Caps, the famous words spoken by commentator Ian Smith when England claimed the tied 2019 ODI World Cup final a boundary countback.

But instead the Kiwis have edged the Aussies by 0.8 per cent and will take on Virat Kohli’s heavyweight team to become the inaugural Test champions of the world.

Under ICC rules teams must bowl 15 overs per hour, which is calculated at the end of the match as an average rate across both innings.

Kane Williamson and the Kiwis are heading to Lord’s.

The third umpire must alert the fielding team of the over-rate every 30 minutes.

Boxing Day umpires Bruce Oxenford, Paul Reiffel, Wilson (third umpire) and Gerard Abood (fourth umpire) levelled the charge against the Aussies, which was imposed by Boon, a former teammate of Langer.

Paine also criticised Wilson’s inconsistency as TV umpire during that Test. Australia accepted the charges, deciding against a formal hearing.

Paine turned to spinners Nathan Lyon and Marnus Labuschagne for four out of the final five overs of India’s mini fourth-innings chase (2-70). But the clock showed the Aussies bowled 131 overs when there was time for 133.3.

Pat Cummins couldn’t believe it.

“I hadn’t heard anything about the over rates,” he said at the time.

“It seemed like every over there was a 12th man or a physio or someone running out drinks and slowing the game down.

“We’ve got to take control of overs.”

Players were fined 40 per cent of their match fee and Australia lost four WTC points – two per over that they were behind.

In the end, the Aussies effectively self-selected out of the WTC by refusing to travel to South Africa on medical grounds, aware that decision was likely to see them miss out under this exact scenario.

Pat Cummins couldn’t believe the penalty.

After retaining the Ashes in 2019 the players made the WTC their No.1 goal. But while winning two Tests and drawing or winning the third in South Africa would’ve guaranteed a place in the Final, prioritising their health won out.

Cricket Australia is committed to rescheduling the Test series in South Africa within its current broadcast rights, but only when it is safe to do so.

The other sliding doors moment was the famous finish at Headingley in 2019.

Nathan Lyon fumbled an easy run-out and then trapped Ben Stokes plum the next ball, only for a certain Test-winning wicket go unrewarded because Paine had wasted the last review the previous over.

While the Aussies retained the Ashes with an unforgettable win at Manchester the next match, in hindsight a victory at Leeds as well as Manchester would’ve sent the Aussies to Lord’s for the WTC.

But while ifs, buts and maybes might haunt Langer and Paine, they will now move on to plan some unofficial red-ball cricket in winter — depending on the post-COVID budget.

Because England will play another seven home Tests before arriving in Australia next summer battle-hardened for the Ashes.

Meanwhile the Aussies are green with envy that they won’t be at Lord’s and don’t have another red ball in sight.

Originally published as Australia finished third on World Test Championship ladder but first on unexpected but satisfying ICC ladder