After another batting collapse and a run of soft dismissals, maybe dumb shots are just dumb shots?
Australia were given a pair of free lessons in how to bat without panicking — but didn’t look to take any of that on board as the bumbled their way through another batting collapse.
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Perhaps the old fogeys know what they’re talking about after all.
Shane Warne was right on the money when he called out Usman Khawaja for his ludicrous claim that the old “traditionalists” just don’t understand the modern white ball game.
While Khawaja contended that the current generation are right to choose fancy shots over classic cricket strokes because the game’s changed and they need to take more risks, Warne’s immediate counter argument was that dumb shot selections are still just dumb selections.
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Warne can now safely rest his case after Justin Langer’s stumbling team provided a masterclass in poor shot choice on Sunday night after getting two free lessons on how to score quickly without panicking.
The first of those lessons came courtesy of Australia’s magnificent women’s team, which won the Twenty20 World Cup for the fourth time with a comprehensive eight-wicket win over England in the West Indies.
Despite only a chasing a modest total, Meg Lanning and her teammates went about their run-chase with an unshakeable sense of self-belief and composure, steadily building the innings after losing player of the tournament Alyssa Healy then accelerating when they needed to without any reckless risks.
Australia’s second lesson was provided by India at the Sydney Cricket Ground last night, as the tourists reached their victory target of 165 with two balls to spare and six wickets in hand.
Although they lost both openers with the total on 67, the Indians were able to re-set and rebuild the innings without skipping a beat after Australia lost their way once their openers had put on 68.
Australia could of, and should have, made a bigger total after seven of their eight batsmen that took strike made double figures but they threw their wickets away with brainless decisions.
Aaron Finch (28) and D’Arcy Short (33) squandered their bright starts with unnecessary sweep shots against spinners, with Finch caught at short fine leg and Short missing the ball completely and being trapped lbw.
Ben McDermott should have learnt from this when he came to the crease but he didn’t so he tried the same harebrained shot that had brought down his teammates and was out for a golden duck.
Alex Carey (27) also fell to the sweep shot when a more sensible approach was needed while Glenn Maxwell (13) failed to make the most of a DRS reprieve when he holed out at long and Chris Lynn (13) showed that madness isn’t just reserved for foolish shots as he ran out himself out from the nonstriker’s end.
It’s a recurring theme for Australia’s one-day and T20 teams all year but time is running out to get things together before next year’s ODI World Cup in England.
No-one has really put up their hands, leaving Australia’s title defence possibly lying in the hands of their suspended leaders Steve Smith and David Warner, who will be available when the tournament rolls around in mid 2019.
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