Australia v England, T20 World Cup: Humiliating defeat in Dubai a psychological blow for Ashes

While Ben Stokes’ late Ashes addition is sure to be pivotal, the form of another all-rounder at the current T20 World Cup is giving England plenty of optimism for the five-Test series.

David Warner of Australia and Jos Buttler.

Australia needs to win its last two pool games as much for the Ashes as the World Cup.

Beat Bangladesh and the West Indies and make the semi-finals, even if it’s on net run rate, and Australia would have a bare pass mark for the tournament and return home with a measure of calmness and dignity for the Ashes.

It’s house might not be in order, but at least it would not be on fire.

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But if there is another landslide losses like the one to England and Australia is bundled out in the pool stage, then the awkward truce and delicate fabric which holds Australian cricket together would surely start fraying at the seams.

The last thing Australia needs entering the summer is more headlines about whether coach Justin Langer is the right man for the job or how he is getting on with the players, and probes into why Australia is struggling in all formats of the game.

Winning masks everything. Losing magnifies everything.

David Warner fell to Chris Woakes for just one run.

The magnitude of England’s thumping of Australia in the World Cup was a surprise, but the result itself wasn’t.

Australia is ranked the No.7 T20 nation because it has lost its past five series in this format.

For the past week there have been potent headlines about the impact an English all-rounder could have on the Ashes … but what if that man is not Ben Stokes?

Veteran all-rounder Chris Woakes has been no one’s pre-tour pick to be a major Ashes force and he averaged a totally unspectacular 50 runs per wicket when he toured here four years ago.

But Woakes is a smarter bowler now in better form and, if successful, has the potential to add a crucial dimension to England’s Ashes challenge this summer.

The greenish tinge on the deck may have helped him but he did splendidly to whip out David Warner to a classical away seamer, and almost had Steve Smith lbw as well.

When India beat Australia in the Test series last summer no bowler carved a path of destruction. Mohammed Siraj was the leading bowler with 13 wickets. India chipped away steadily as a team and every man did his job.

Chris Woakes’ seamers caused huge headaches for Australia’s top order.

If Woakes, through his relentless accuracy and occasional seam, can have a solid series England’s challenge will rise a notch, especially if he can shine with the bat.

The thought of Woakes batting at number seven or eight, capable of the occasional Test 50 (he has 10 first-class centuries), at least ensures England would bat deep even if Joe Root is their only world-class performer.

One of Australia’s key issues in the World Cup is that it still doesn’t know what its best side is.

Mitchell Marsh was dropped to accommodate Ashton Agar as the extra spinner in what appeared a sensible move until Australia’s top order vanished without trace in the first few overs.

Australia does not like the thought of being so heavily reliant on Warner and Aaron Finch that it’s a case of “them of bust’’, but it has long been obvious that Australia lacks the batting fibre to overcome poor starts against the game’s better teams.

WARNE TAKES AIM AT AUSSIE SELECTORS

— Steve Barrett

Australian cricket legend Shane Warne has delivered a scathing assessment of the side’s performance at the T20 World Cup after being humiliated by old foes England.

Jos Buttler’s unbeaten 71 and inspired bowling by Chris Woakes powered England to an eight-wicket victory over Australia which leaves them one win away from securing a spot in the semi-finals.

After eking out an unconvincing victory against South Africa and hauling in Sri Lanka in more compelling fashion, Australia bombed spectacularly in its first big test of the T20 World Cup, skittled for a paltry 125, which was reeled in with clinical ease by England with 50 balls to spare.

Proper T/20 cricket that from England ! Australia will hopefully learn how they need to play after that smashing they copped from the Poms. Pakistan & England are showing how to play T/20 cricket. Australia need to change their thinking re style of play plus the team !!!!!

— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) October 30, 2021

Sent in to bat on a green-tinged pitch, the Aussies crashed to 4-21 just after the powerplay, before captain Aaron Finch’s gritty 44 and some lusty but belated lower-order hitting saved some face.

But their total was quickly made to look completely inadequate by Jos Buttler who smoked five sixes in his astonishing unconquered 71.

Buttler went particularly hard at Mitchell Starc and launched a premeditated assault on the previously miserly Adam Zampa to motor unbeaten England to its third successive easy victory.

After roaring back to form with a sparkling 65 against Sri Lanka, David Warner’s departure for one sparked a crippling top-order collapse by Australia, already one batter light after Mitch Marsh, his county’s best-performed Twenty20 batsman this year, was omitted for spinner Ashton Agar.

England's Jos Buttler plays a shot as Australia's wicketkeeper Matthew Wade

Steve Smith (1) holed out in ungainly fashion, Glenn Maxwell (6) was trapped on the crease by Chris Woakes and Marcus Stoinis (0) was completely flummoxed by an Adil Rashid wrong ‘un as tournament favourite England assumed complete control.

Backed up by the brilliant execution of his bowlers, Eoin Morgan’s captaincy was aggressive and typically thoughtful.

He strangled Australia’s batsmen with attacking fields - Woakes bowled to Stoinis with two slips at one stage - and shielded powerplay specialist Moeen Ali from Finch, a renowned marauderer of finger spin, instead asking Rashid to share the new ball with Woakes.

Australia’s bowling was equally vapid, treated with utter disdain by an England outfit yet to break sweat while fashioning a devastating pre-Ashes statement.

WARPATH WARNIE

Warne took to social media to offer his views on what he said was poor selection and tactics.

“Disappointing selection from Australia leaving Marsh out & Maxwell batting in the power play (he should always come in after power play),” he wrote.

“Stoinis should have gone in. Poor strategy & tactics from the Aussies. I love Smith but he shouldn’t be in the T/20 team. Marsh has to be.

“Proper T/20 cricket that from England! Australia will hopefully learn how they need to play after that smashing they copped from the Poms,” he wrote.

“Pakistan & England are showing how to play T/20 cricket. Australia need to change their thinking re style of play plus the team.”

Australia's David Warner bump fists with teammate Steven Smith

Disappointing selection from Australia leaving Marsh out & Maxwell batting in the power play (he should always come in after power play). Stoinis should have gone in. Poor strategy & tactics from the Aussies. I love Smith but he shouldn’t be in the T/20 team. Marsh has to be !!

— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) October 30, 2021

WOAKES WREAK HAVOC

Buoyed by the news superstar Ben Stokes was added to its Ashes squad earlier this week, England made an imperious start to its heavyweight T20 clash with Australia on Saturday night, spearheaded by fellow all-rounder Chris Woakes.

Aided by a deck with a generous coverage of grass, Woakes hit Test-match lengths and generated impressive sideways nibble with the new rock.

England's Jonny Bairstow plays a shot

He enticed a walking Warner to edge behind to Jos Buttler before jagging one into Maxwell’s pads to have him plumb lbw.

Woakes’ best moment came at mid-on when he back-pedalled and plucked a one-handed catch at full extension to send Smith packing off Chris Jordan, who was back to his best with 3-17 to earn player-of-the-match honours.

MAXY MUTED

Fresh on the heels of a banner Indian Premier League campaign with Royal Challengers Bangalore, Glenn Maxwell has yet to fire across Australia’s first three pool games.

Maxwell, not required with the ball as England romped its way to an early minute, has posted scores of 18, five and six, has hit two boundaries for the tournament and is striking at a relatively sedate 80 per-100-balls.

It goes without saying that Australia needs Maxwell to fire if it is to challenge the competition’s heavyweights.

WHAT THE CAPTAIN HAD TO SAY

Captain Aaron Finch admits the gamble to promote spinner Ashton Agar at the expense of top-order hitter Mitch Marsh left Australia exposed when early wickets tumbled in Saturday night’s humiliating eight-wicket T20 World Cup loss to England.

Marsh had been Australia’s in-form player across largely unsuccessful white-balls tours of the West Indies and Bangladesh last winter, but was axed for the England clash.

Agar stroked a breezy 20 before taking 1-15 to be the pick of the Aussie bowlers.

But with Australia having slumped to 4-21 after being sent in on a lively Dubai deck, irreparable damage was already done by the time Agar impacted.

“Clearly when you go three-down in the powerplay, it’s not an ideal scenario when you go in with that structured team,” Finch said.

“The reason Agar was in there was we felt he was a really good match-up for England.

“His ability to bowl in the powerplay and in the middle overs in the past against England has been really good.

“It was not a reflection on how Mitch has been going at all - it was purely a match-up thing for this game.

“When you go in with six specialist batters, that is probably going to leave you a bit short at times.”

David Warner of Australia and Jos Buttler

Australia had no answer for Chris Woakes’ devastating spell with the new ball and Jos Buttler’s power-packed display with the bat, launching England to victory with 50 balls to spare.

“They completely dominated us from the start,” Finch said.

“They are very well-rounded and have got a lot of bases covered in terms of their quicks, spin, death bowling and their batting is as powerful as anything.”

Finch dismissed concerns around the fitness of Steve Smith who winced in pain after appearing to hurt a groin muscle when he scurried in from backward point while trying to run Buttler out.

Finch assured Smith will take his place ahead of the fixtures against Bangladesh and the Windies, which both recently secured 4-1 T20 series wins over the Aussies, who have slipped to third place in the Group 1 standings.

“He (Smith) didn’t mention anything so I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Finch said.

“We’re all getting a bit older, aren’t we.”

“They (Bangladesh and West Indies) are definitely must-win. Our net run-rate took a hammering tonight.

“We’re going to have to be at our best against Bangladesh who are a very good side, as are the West Indies, who have a lot of firepower and experience.

“It’s must-win from now on.”

Originally published as Australia v England, T20 World Cup: Humiliating defeat in Dubai a psychological blow for Ashes