England v Australia final ODI: Aussie white-ball fortunes at embarrassing low as Poms show way
THE production line of Aussie white-ball wonders has dried up. And what makes that reality even more galling is that the Old Enemy has them in spades and are currently the best in the world.
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THE number 42 stands out as the most glaring reason Australia’s fall from one-day powerhouse status has moved from concerning to out of control.
MUCH OF THE SAME: Aussies no match for Poms
That’s how many players have turned out in a 50-over game for the defending World Cup champions since that victory at the MCG in March 2015 amid a mix of retirements, injuries and the search for a successful short form recipe.
Only two other countries, Sri Lanka and West Indies, have churned through more players than the Australians who have slipped to their lowest ranking in 34 years and are staring down the barrel of not just a 5-0 series loss to England, but a total annihilation by the best ODI team in the world.
Australia is minus at least six first-choice players, particularly frontline bowlers, but that only accounts for five losses in a bad record that stretches back right through 2017 and now stands at 15 losses from the past 17 games.
The production line of white-ball wonders has dried up.
In stark contrast is the Old Enemy which has them in spades.
Consider that two walk-ups to England’s best XI, Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes, have been unavailable for this series.
When England smacked Australia for a world record 6-481 at Trent Bridge earlier this week, the side was without only that pair from the team that smashed the previous world record of 444, two years earlier against Pakistan.
England is the least changed side in one-day cricket since the last World Cup. It has since then inserted Jonny Bairstow at the top of the order and he has four ODI hundreds in his past seven games.
This time 12 months ago, when Australia battled to one win in three barely memorable Champions Trophy games, Moises Henriques batted at No.3, Matthew Wade was the wicketkeeper and John Hastings a member of the bowling attack.
Henriques hasn’t played for Australia since, Wade was sent to international exile and Hastings has retired from all but domestic Twenty20 leagues.
They aren’t the reasons Australia is going so badly, but are examples of the problems endemic with selection where no one is sure who best fits the bill to score the big runs needed, then how to defend any and all totals in a new world order where an innings of 481 is possible.
New Australia coach Justin Langer has preached depth as being the key to defending the World Cup, back in England, next year.
But on exposed form, albeit in the early stages of their international cricket career, Australia’s back-up bowlers on show this series have been found well short of the grade.
“The bowlers are still learning. I think the last couple of games we have been making the same mistakes, that’s something we need to look at,” Australia vice-captain Aaron Finch said.
“But there’s nowhere to hide in this game, we are playing the best in the world. The learnings will be valuable.”
Finch also maintained that while it looks great, Australia won’t be copying the English “blueprint” that has seen it rise to the best team in one-day cricket.
“They have got a pretty good blueprint, but do we need to copy that? No. We have to stick to our strengths, but try to find a way to stay in the contest for longer, keep hanging in there,” he said after making a century at the Riverside Ground.
“Things will turn for us very quick.”
With one game left in Manchester on Sunday, and a whitewash looming, things needs to turn fast.
Originally published as England v Australia final ODI: Aussie white-ball fortunes at embarrassing low as Poms show way
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